Dear Starr King Community,
I want to take a moment to thank everyone who provided input on the charge to the search committee and on the composition of the search committee over the past few weeks. We were particularly heartened and inspired by the open conversation on the charge to the search committee during our full board meeting on September 18. And we are appreciative of the conversations we’ve had with different representatives and constituent groups, all which are also informing us in how to proceed.
As we shared earlier this month, we are committed to creating the best possible search process to select the next president of Starr King. We are taking this time to create a process that is grounded in our vision, benefits from the collective wisdom of our community, and aligns with higher education best practices.
With that in mind, we have already begun to make decisions on the search process, guided in large part by the input we have received. Over the coming weeks, the Board will continue to analyze the input we have received and make final decisions on the charge to and composition of the search committee. Those who were able to attend our full Board meeting already had an opportunity to see and collaborate on an early draft of that charge. We will be finalizing the charge to the search committee based on the additional input we received via email.
When it comes to the composition of the search committee, we believe that it is critically important that the search committee brings different perspectives from across the life of the school into the process. This idea has been – and continues to be – central in our discernment on the composition of the search committee. The discussions we’ve had with representatives from different constituent groups across the school have already helped us think about ways to bring those different perspectives into the committee. This initial input also helped us begin to identify some of the qualities that are important to have represented on the search committee in some way, such as a deep understanding of the state of theological education and experience in higher education search processes. At the same time, we also recognize that the search committee will need to be composed in such a way that it is nimble enough to do its work effectively within the timeframe outlined in the charge. These considerations, along with an analysis of all the input we have received, will guide us in our decision-making.
We will be sharing updates as those decisions are made. Additionally, beyond the charge to and composition of the search committee, there are other building blocks to the search process that will also need to be created. As we begin to turn our attention to those other building blocks, we will also be sharing updates on our next steps and additional opportunities for input.
I want to conclude this update the same way I began – with gratitude to all of you for your continued patience, support, and collaboration as we continue to build out our presidential search process. We look forward to continuing this work with you in the weeks and months ahead.
Sincerely,
Rev. Alison Miller
Chair, Starr King Board of Trustees
