Committee outlines interviewing process

The University of Cincinnati's Presidential Search Committee outlined their interviewing process during the final meeting before sorting through potential candidates.

The 14-person committee met Tuesday, June 23 at the Russell C. Myers Alumni Center to discuss and refine a program for interviewees to go through. Preparations for incoming applicants were taken to assure that the members of the committee would have an equal part in the questioning.

Of the different parts of the discussion, the time table for the interviews served as one of the largest portions of discussion. Time limits on questions were looked into in an attempt to make the process as smooth running and revealing as possible.

"[The applicants] should be able to sell themselves a little,” said David Stern, dean of the UC Medical College.

Despite a few disagreements, the committee decided upon a process involving two teams (made up of the committee members themselves) that ask the applicant specific questions dealing with topics that are considered vital to the university.

The teams will be split so that each contain seven members: two UC trustees, one academic administrator, a student representative, one officer of “an affiliated group,” one academic faculty member and one at large member of the committee.

"It's a little less imposing to a candidate to be sitting in front of seven people instead of 14,” said Stephen Kowel, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC's College of Engineering.

Time constraints, however, led the committee to look at the schedule critically. Whether or not the candidate would get a personal statement at the end of the questioning was also a large factor in the decisions of the interviewing process.

"We don't want to waste our time,” said Valerie Hardcastle, dean of McMicken College of Arts and Sciences.

Some questions – which were decided upon by the same committee as necessary for getting a proper profile – may be rearranged or some cut altogether.

"The trouble is, [the questions] are all good,” said Jeff Williams, representative of the UC Foundation. “I hate to lose any of these topics.”

The committee did agree on the overall itinerary, however.

"It will allow us to interview four or five people in a long day in a meaningful way,” said H.C. Buck Niehoff, chairperson of the committee.

With the deadline for applying being on July 15, the committee is still receiving applications. At the next meeting, slated for July 27, they will start reviewing them.

"All the committee members should feel free to talk to people and encourage them to apply,” Niehoff said. “They should reveal it to the committee members, because, well, people should know.”