Sean Huddleston was named president of Martin University back in January and in March, Huddleston officially left the University of Indianapolis, leaving his previous position as vice president and chief of inclusion and equity open. Since then, the university has been making progress in the search for someone to take his place.
President Manuel convened the search committee in March and the position was posted in mid-april, according to Assistant Nursing Professor and a member of the search committee, Alex Kemery.
The university held interviews with five candidates from July 22 through Aug. 2. Students and staff were encouraged to
attend these interviews to provide feedback for the committee to consider during the hiring process.
Kemery, a member of the search committee, said that the turnout for the campus presentations were lower than he recalls back when interviews were held for the same position a few years ago. Once feedback is collected from the individuals who did attend, it will be forwarded to UIndy President Robert Manuel.
According to Kemery, the committee is looking for candidates who have previous experience in several areas.
“Some of the things we focused on when reviewing candidate applications included previous experience in the following: creating strategic plans, system-wide initiatives, and structures to facilitate inclusion and equity,” Kemery said.
Along with those skills, Kemery said that the committee was looking for someone who could also act as a liaison to, and advocate for those with specific issues related to inclusion and equity as well as developing training and education. The committee is also seeking an applicant with a minimum of five years experience and a Master’s degree is preferred.
As far as the hiring process goes, Kemery said, he expects it to still be several weeks before an announcement is made, pending on how long it takes for an offer to be extended and accepted by the final candidate.
