Dean Search for the USC Iovine and Young Academy – Next Steps

MEMORANDUM

To:                   USC Iovine and Young Academy Faculty, Staff, and Students

From:              Charles F. Zukoski

                        Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Date:                April 30, 2021  

Subject:           Dean Search for the USC Iovine and Young Academy – Next Steps

I am pleased to share with you that the search for the next dean of the USC Iovine and Young Academy is now entering its final stages. Over the last several months, the Search Advisory Committee has conducted an exhaustive and thorough search.

Our consultants at executive search firm Spencer Stuart sent announcements to nearly 200 leaders in the field and reached out to over 60 prospective candidates and sources.  The search committee reviewed a rich and diverse pool of international candidates that included professors, university administrators, and practitioners with academic experience in arts and design, business and entrepreneurial management, communication, and engineering and computer science.  I am grateful to the members of the Search Advisory Committee for their engagement, energy, and guidance through this process.

The committee has identified the finalists who will virtually visit USC in the coming weeks. During these visits, faculty, staff, and students will have an opportunity to meet the candidates in open forums. The candidates will also meet with the Search Advisory Committee, IYA administrative leadership, USC senior administrators, deans of other schools, the IYA Board of Councilors, and myself.

Please hold the following forum dates and times on your calendar; the name of each finalist will be made public shortly before their visit.

Candidate #1

Faculty Forum                          Tuesday, May 4, 10:00-11:00am

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/99476677537?pwd=SEZlRU9KMU5oSzlPaHFMUEJEeWt0QT09

Staff Forum                              Monday, May 3, 1:00-2:00pm

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/99318928067?pwd=bTFJcEpQQmhqbnFQdTgxa3hqVktKZz09

Student Forum                          Monday, May 3, 2:00-3:00pm

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/92199350414?pwd=VTRVMG9SeFQ5dWd0MUhpL0lETFgvUT09

Candidate #2

Faculty Forum                          Wednesday, May 5, 10:00-11:00am

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/98867606225?pwd=NXZqTzJvd3MvVG1YaDY3KzdWYjR0UT09

Staff Forum                              Tuesday, May 4, 3:00-4:00pm

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/93500815103?pwd=QmJEOEQ0NHNyL1plTjg1MmlpcERMdz09

Student Forum                          Wednesday, May 5, 9:00-10:00am

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/96161245956?pwd=bjRCNEVFZTAzYVgwb0J1ejRJUmpyZz09

Candidate #3

Faculty Forum                          Friday, May 7, 11:00am-12:00noon

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/94933129434?pwd=Mng1bDRVWmdUVEw5ZXF3Y09EaHJvdz09

Staff Forum                              Friday, May 7, 9:00-10:00am

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/98463529392?pwd=LytnZEJwK1lkdTBDUW5IQytDcGJoZz09

Student Forum                          Friday, May 7, 1:00-2:00pm

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/99774167257?pwd=Z3Q4eDN0RUZZSHZXS0xDRVNGb2pnZz09

Candidate #4

Faculty Forum                          Monday, May 10, 3:00-4:00pm

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/98401261919?pwd=enRUL2VvU1BFVVJpMFVtRVE4dXI3UT09

Staff Forum                              Tuesday, May 11, 9:00-10:00am

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/93135231632?pwd=K1dieHQ4SUxTV2VaNkxUMWFaYm9adz09

Student Forum                          Monday, May 10, 2:00-3:00pm

https://uscadm.zoom.us/j/95226039674?pwd=VERZeTN6anhEK2FTN25SSzRHaVdqdz09

These visits are important both to us, as a university, and to the individual candidates. We learn about and appraise each of them while they also evaluate and learn more about us. This is an opportunity to fully present to the candidates the strengths and opportunities of our university and to being a dean here.

All who meet the candidates are encouraged to submit comments in confidence directly to me regarding the strengths and potential challenges of each candidate; your individual evaluations are very important to President Folt and to me. I would like to remind you that our process prohibits any group or constituency from taking any vote or lobbying in any organized manner for any candidate during this process. You may email your comments to me at uscprovost@usc.edu. I assure you all information will be kept completely confidential. I will ultimately share the feedback I receive with President Folt, who will make the final selection of the dean.

The dean of the USC Iovine and Young Academy plays a vital role in the life of the entire university. Recruiting and hiring an outstanding dean is one of the university’s highest priorities. Therefore, I urge each of you to participate in the forums for these candidates and to share your comments with me.

cc:        Willow Bay

            Elizabeth Graddy