Community members are invited to participate in a virtual forum next week to provide input on the characteristics, qualities and competencies desired in the next president of Schoolcraft College, as well as suggest hiring criteria to the Presidential Search Committee and Board of Trustees.
Dr. Conway A. Jeffress, who led Schoolcraft College to unprecedented growth in enrollment and physical size during his tenure as president, announced on Jan. 10 that he is retiring. Jeffress has served as president of the two-year community college since July of 2001.
Due to Executive Order No. 2020-9 temporarily restricting the use of places of public accommodation, the community input session will be held remotely on Monday, March 23, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
Similar forums will be held for faculty, students and staff.
“Given the current situation, we felt this solution was the best way to welcome the valued input from members of our community, be transparent in our process and keep our timeline on track as best we can,” said Brian D. Broderick, Chair of Schoolcraft College’s Board of Trustees. “We will have a person who is a neutral third-party facilitate the conversation, and we look forward to active engagement from the community.”
Facilitating the forum will be Jeannette Saquet, Ph.D. and president of Business Research Group (BRG). BRG will compile and analyze the data, then provide a summary to the Presidential Search Committee, which Broderick leads, and the Board of Trustees. An executive search firm will be engaged as well to aid in the search for a new president.
View the livestream here. It’s recommended to join the livestream 10 to 15 minutes before the start of the session and to use the Google Chrome browser for best experience. Viewers can interact with the session via the chat function, which can be accessed in a chat box located to the right of the live video feed.
“Dr. Jeffress created an incredible era at Schoolcraft College and set the stage for continued success,” Broderick said. “We expect our next president to be an outstanding educator, excellent communicator with faculty, students and staff, and thoughtful collaborator with local, area and state community and business leaders to position Schoolcraft College to even greater success in the coming years.”