Nevada System of Higher Education

Board of Regents
Rick Trachok
Chairman
System Administration 50 West Liberty Street, Suite 410
2601 Enterprise Road Reno, Nevada 89501
Reno, Nevada 89512 (775) 321-5513
(775) 784-4901 FAX: (775) 321-5555
FAX: (775) 327-5049 rick_trachok@nshe.nevada.edu

TO: NSHE BOARD OF REGENTSAD HOC CHANCELLOR SEARCH

COMMITTEE AND ADVISORY MEMBERS

FROM: RICK TRACHOK, BOARD CHAIR

RE: STATUS OF CHANCELLOR SEARCH

DATE: APRIL10, 2017

At the Search Committee (the Committee) meeting on December 6, 2016, I was asked to work
with AGB Search (the Search Consultant) to identify and interview semi-finalist candidates
with the goal of bringing qualified finalist candidates to the Committee for interviews on April
19th and 20th.

The Search Consultant started advertising for the Chancellor position on January 9, 2017 and
established a soft deadline of March 1, 2017. Thirty-three applications were received from the
Search Consultant. These applications were reviewed by me with the assistance of the Chief of
Staff and Special Counsel to the Board of Regents (the COS). The COS and I independently
reviewed the applications and conducted basic internet searches on the candidates. After
reviewing these applications and holding an in-depth discussion with the Search Consultants and
the COS, the field was narrowed to nine semi-finalists. 1

As directed by the Committee at the December 6, 2016 meeting, I held separate telephone
conferences with four independent advisors approved by the Committee to review the credentials
of the nine semi-finalists 2 to assist me in preparing for the interviews. On March 27th and 28th, I
interviewed the nine semi-finalists. The Search Consultants and the COS were also present at
the interviews.

1
All identifying information relating to the identity of applicants and persons nominated must remain confidential. The semi-
finalist pool consisted of three women and six men. Two semi-finalists were African American and one was Native American.
2
The advisors were: Dr. Nancy Brune, Chair , CSN IAC, Dr. John Etchemendy, former Provost, Stanford University , Dr. Carol
Harter, former President of UNLV; and Dr. Jane Nichols, former NSHE Chancellor. The COS also participated in these
telephone conferences.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada, Reno Nevada State College Desert Research Institute
College of Southern Nevada Great Basin College Truckee Meadows Community College Western Nevada College
The first interviewee withdrew the application on the second day of the interviews having
accepted another position. Four of the remaining semi-finalists withdrew from the search due to
concerns about the public nature of the search process and the requirements imposed by the
Open Meeting Law (NRS 241.010, et.seq.). All five of these finalists were the top choices. We
were able to engage in discussions with the top candidate (who had withdrawn from the search)
who expressed that he/she was possibly willing to continue in the search only with assurance that
he/she would be the sole candidate brought before the Committee. Knowing that this was not
our typical pattern, I was willing to bring forth only the top candidate to the Committee.
Ultimately, however, this candidate was not willing to continue with the search.

I made a commitment to Chair Page, the Committee and the entire Board of Regents that I would
only bring forth candidates that I believed were the right fit for this high level and extremely
important position. I made it clear that I was not willing to settle for second best. While I was
willing to bring only the top candidate to the Committee for consideration when that possibility
was presented to me, a move that was not without its own risks, this ultimately was not possible
due to the candidates decision to withdraw from the search. As a result, it was my
recommendation to Chair Page that we put the search on hold and re-visit this at a later date. I
am convinced that it is better to proceed in this manner than to bring forward candidates who I
am not convinced will be able to successfully serve as the next NSHE Chancellor.