UNM has begun a nationwide search to find an experienced person with proven leadership qualities in community college administration to be executive director at the UNM-Gallup branch campus.
The search officially began Nov. 19, at a Gallup meeting, when UNM Provost Brian Foster gave the 17-member search committee its charge of selecting the next director.
The meeting began with introductions by Foster and was followed by the screening of 50-60 applications. The committee's review eliminated applicants who did not meet the minimal qualifications of the position, said UNM Deputy Provost Richard Holder, a member of the committee.
"The screening process is totally confidential," Holder said, noting that he and Foster were excused from the applicant screening process.
The position has been nationally advertised and the committee was encouraged to be proactive in seeking out candidates, said Howard Smith, dean of the Anderson Schools of Management and the search committee's chair.
"We don't like these 'quiet' searches," Holder said. "We wanted to get out and recruit, and make sure we got a good pool of candidates."
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Holder said that of the 50-60 applications the committee received, only about five would make it to the interview phase.
"Interviews will take place on the main campus as well as down in Gallup," Holder said. "We're looking at sometime in February, and hope to make an offer shortly thereafter."
According to the job description, some of the duties and responsibilities of the position include providing leadership and direction in all aspects of administration at UNM-Gallup and serving as a liaison between it and the UNM main campus. The new executive director will also develop and implement strategies for generating resources and revenues.
Good people skills are essential for a job like this, especially in a small town like Gallup, Holder said.
"It's kind of similar to the position of mayor, or chair of the chamber of commerce," he said.
UNM-Gallup is the oldest and largest of the UNM branch campuses, serving about 3,000 students, 80 percent of whom are American Indian.
The new director will have to know how the world of the community college operates and how to deal with the needs of students, faculty and staff in a culturally diverse environment, Holder said.
Holder added that the new director also will be responsible for making UNM-Gallup more compatible with the main campus.
"Human resources, the tenure process and facility planning are all handled out of Albuquerque. Inevitably, there are mismatches," he said. "The new director will be involved in consultation to help smooth that out."
Elizabeth Miller is the current interim director of the branch campus.
He added that Miller replaced former director Bob Carlson, who left for a presidential position at a community college in California last year.
The decision to defer the search to this fall was made so that the national advertising campaign could be put into place, Holder said.
