U. names firm to lead VP searches

The search for a new executive vice president is progressing rapidly, after a search committee was appointed last Friday, Deputy to the President Jean Morse said yesterday. The University appointed Heindrick & Struggles, a worldwide executive search firm, to fill vacancies in the executive vice presidency and the vice president of human resources. Former Executive Vice President Janet Hale resigned in August, and was immediately replaced by Jack Freeman, who took the position on an interim basis. Three members of the firm running the searches will be on campus today and tomorrow, meeting with administrators, faculty, students and staff to learn about the University and what people are looking for in a chief financial officer. "We want to have a large national search so the fact that they are located nationally is a great advantage," Morse said. The firm also has experience with educational searches, especially on a university level. According to University spokesperson Barbara Beck, the firm has conducted more than 200 higher education searches over the past two and a half years. "They have a specialty in the educational field," Morse said. "They have done similar searches to ours." The three-member team plans to talk with University President Judith Rodin today, along with student representatives from the Undergraduate Assembly and the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly. The team will meet with Provost Stanley Chodorow tomorrow. During the two days, and in the coming weeks, faculty, staff, deans and members of the University Board of Trustees will meet with the team to discuss their ideas and opinions. "We can give them the broadest exposure to Penn and its needs," Morse said. "And as many people as possible can contribute their ideas?if anyone has any suggestions for the search, I'd be happy to hear from them." After Hale was appointed in February 1993, The Daily Pennsylvanian discovered that she was linked to a series of scandals that took place in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. University officials who interviewed Hale had no knowledge of Hale's involvement until the the DP reported the information. In addition, Diversified Search, the firm placed in charge of the process,did not check into Hale's involvement in the scandal. Morse said she thinks this search firm will be very thorough, adding that she expects the firm's members to do an "excellent job." Morse voiced her own thoughts on the future executive vice president, saying that the selection should be one who "can be a member of our new team with Dr. Rodin and Dr. Chodorow to implement the visions and changes they will make, together with the community." Morse said she could not predict a timetable for the search's end. "We'll move as quickly as we can consistent with doing an excellent job," she added. Morse noted that Janet Gordon in the executive vice president's office will coordinate the search for the vice president for human resources.