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Charter Oak State College Presidential Search

The Chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) invites nominations and applications for the position of President of Charter Oak State College.

About Charter Oak

Connecticut's public online college

Charter Oak State College is Connecticut's public online college offering master's programs, bachelor's and associate degree programs, and certificate programs for adults. The college was established in 1973 by the Connecticut legislature and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), and by the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education.

The college offers degree completion programs in a number of high-demand fields including Business, Healthcare, Technology, Social Work, Nursing, Public Safety, Cyber Security, Early Childhood Education and more. Students can complete degrees in many majors and concentrations through the exclusive use of affordable and accelerated online courses offered by the college. In other cases, majors and concentrations may be completed by combining Charter Oak's courses and other sources of credit.

The college awards credit for:

Presidential Search Process

Search Committee
  1. Purpose: The Search Committee is tasked with implementing the search process for the appointment of President, Charter Oak State College.
  2. Formation and Size: The Search Committee size and membership will be determined by the CSCU Chancellor.
  3. Representation: The Committee will consist of representatives from various groups associated with the institution, CSCU representatives, and external stakeholders. A minimum of five (5) representatives from the institution for which the president is being sought are required on the Search Committee. This should ideally include at least one representative from each of the institution’s administration, faculty, and staff, ensuring diverse perspectives within the Search Committee.
  4. Appointment and Role of Search Committee Chair: The CSCU Chancellor appoints the Search Committee Chair, who leads the search process, ensuring it is transparent, fair, and aligned with guidelines. Responsibilities include organizing meetings, facilitating communication, coordinating candidate evaluations, acting as liaison with stakeholders, maintaining confidentiality, and aligning the process with institutional values and the presidential selection criteria.
     
Search Process
  1. Analysis of Needs and Priorities: A designated individual from the System Office, a designated individual from the institution and/or an executive search firm will engage with key stakeholders, including faculty, elected governance leaders, and administrators, to ascertain their needs and desires associated with the role. Efforts will be made to ensure that discussions are conducted while faculty are under contract, supporting shared governance and faculty participation. This coordination will assist in developing an effective job description, advertising, and recruitment strategy.
  2. Announcement and Application Process: Presidential vacancies will be publicly announced, with application details and criteria made available.
  3. Confidentiality: To maintain the search process's integrity and candidate privacy, all activities and discussions of the Search Committee must be confidential, preserving trust and respect. Breaches of confidentiality could seriously damage the reputations of the candidates, institution, and Board of Regents (“Board”).
  4. Selection and Interview Process: Members of the Search Committee will assess candidates' resumes and related information. The Search Committee will identify candidates to be invited for initial interviews.
  5. First Round Interviews and Recommendation for Semi-Final Interviews: Selected candidates will undergo initial structured interviews by the Search Committee, either in-person or virtually, following a set timeline. After these interviews, the Search Committee will select candidates for semi-final interviews.
  6. Semi-Final Interview Process: Candidates selected for semi-final interviews will have separate in-depth, discussions with different constituent groups comprising the Search Committee, institution executive leadership, CSCU institution presidents, CSCU system leadership, as determined by the CSCU Chancellor, as well as members of the Board, as determined by the Chair of the Board. These discussions will focus on topic and matters specific to each constituent group.
  7. Gathering Feedback: After the semi-final interviews, feedback will be collected on the semi- finalists from their respective constituent groups, and the Search Committee Chair will gather insights from institution presidents, System Office leadership, and stakeholders. The Search Committee will review this feedback, prepare a summary for the CSCU Chancellor, and the Search Committee Chair will present the recommendations to the CSCU Chancellor for candidates to move ahead to the final round.
  8. Open Campus Forum for Finalists: Following the receipt of recommendations generated from semi-final interviews, the Chancellor shall select no more than three finalists who will be invited to participate in public, open campus forums (to be held virtually or in-person, as appropriate). Prior to invitation to candidates, scans of social media, review of public statements, employment verification, and reference checks will be conducted. This event will provide an opportunity for the candidates to meet and engage with the broader campus community, including faculty, staff, students, and other key stakeholders. Each finalist will have a dedicated session where they will introduce themselves, share their vision for the institution, and respond to questions from the audience. Feedback from the campus community will be gathered after each session, which will be reviewed by the Search Committee and the Chancellor before the final selection.
  9. Final Selection: Following the receipt of feedback from the open campus forums and consultation with the Chair of the Board and Search Committee Chair, the CSCU Chancellor will select a candidate appointment.
  10. Selection & Verification: CSCU Human Resources will conduct a background check. Finally, contract negotiations will be managed by the Chancellor or their designee.
  11. Announcement: The appointment of the selected President of Charter Oak State College will be publicly announced by the CSCU Chancellor.
Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Plan Compliance:
  1. All committee members are required to undergo training and follow guidelines, which are developed in collaboration with the EEO office, to reduce unconscious bias during resume screening and interview processes.
  2. Sufficient documentation must be maintained throughout the search process to support the Affirmative Action Plans of both the respective institution and CSCU. Said documentation shall be submitted to CSCU Human Resources at the conclusion of the search.

Search Committee

View Members
NameTitleInstitution/Entity
Dr. Karim Ismaili (Chair)PresidentEastern CT State University
Ms. Lesley MaraAVP of System Initiatives and Sponsored ProgramsCSCU System Office
Sarah Ellis MurrayDirector, Office of Accessibility ServicesCharter Oak State College
Ashley McCollumTeaching Faculty Charter Oak State College
Dr. Tuesday CooperTeaching Faculty Charter Oak State College
Dr. Hamid El KhalfiTeaching Faculty Charter Oak State College
Dr. Maureen HoganDean, School of EducationCharter Oak State College
Dr. Rebecca RoyalAVP for Enrollment ManagementCharter Oak State College
Michael BroderickDirector, Institutional EffectivenessCharter Oak State College
Serina JulienDirector, Human ResourcesCharter Oak State College
Glenn DavisFoundation Board PresidentCharter Oak State College Foundation

Leadership Profile

Feedback from the listening sessions inform the development of the leadership profile and recruitment strategy.

Search Listening Sessions

As we begin the search for the next president of Charter Oak State College, virtual Listening Sessions will take place with executive search firm Greenwood Asher & Associates facilitating the search process.

Also participating in the Listening Sessions, as their schedules permit, are members of the search committee, including key representatives from the Charter Oak community and others across CSCU, as well as the committee chair, Dr. Karim Ismaili, President of Eastern Connecticut State University.

During the sessions, we will gather Charter Oak's insights on the qualities and experiences the College needs in its next President. These insights will be used to develop a leadership profile, which will be essential in recruiting the most qualified and innovative candidates.

Together, the goal is to identify a president who can lead Charter Oak State College into a future marked by growth, collaboration, excellence, and innovation.

Questions

  • What professional skills/experiences and personal qualities do you seek in your next President?
  • What are the key challenges and opportunities for the next President?
  • What does the leader need to accomplish in the next one to three years and next three to five years?
  • What are your points of pride in Charter Oak State College? What brought you here? What keeps you here?

Unable to Attend?

If you are unable to attend in person or virtually but still wish to provide feedback, please complete the following survey: Presidential Search Stakeholder Input Survey – Fill out form. Your feedback will be submitted directly to Greenwood Asher & Associates.

If you share your feedback during a live session, there is no need to complete the survey.

Schedule

The schedule for the two Search Listening Sessions is forthcoming.