By Adam Hartzer ’23
Editor-in-Chief and Layout Editor
On June 25, 2021, President of Lake Forest College Stephen Schutt sent a message to the campus community informing that the 2021-22 academic year will be his final year serving as president.
In his message, Schutt shares his decision to begin a transition to retirement.
“Two decades is a considerable period for anyone, and I informed the Board of Trustees this morning that the academic year ahead will be my final one as president. I am confident that the right time has come for this transition. The pandemic is largely behind us, and the College is in strong shape for the future.”
To prepare for the upcoming transition, the Board of Trustees formed a search committee in August, composed of trustees David Castagnetti ’84, Jessica Coleman ’89, Geoffrey Curtis ’97, Robert D. Krebs, Randy Lauer ’81, Robert Murley, Dr. Angelique Richard ’85, faculty Associate Professor of Philosophy Daw-Nay Evans, Professor of Economics Jeff Sundberg, and Associate Professor of Chemistry Dawn Wiser, administrative staff Associate Dean of Students Erin Hoffman and Associate Vice President of Admissions Jackie Hoefler, and students Gabe Anzeze ’23 and Ashlyn Pope ’23.
The search committee will also receive support from Storbeck Search, which is a “national search firm that has helped scores of liberal arts colleges across the country successfully recruit outstanding new presidents,” according to the campus-wide email sent by William A. Lowry ’84, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee Chair.
“We are working transparently with renowned consultant StorbeckSearch and are committed to casting a wide net to identify talented, accomplished and diverse candidates from academia and non-traditional backgrounds,” Lowry says.
With the committee’s first meeting on August 17th, they shared an expected schedule with the campus community:
“Early Fall: Storbeck Search will reach out to faculty, students, staff, alumni and trustees to gather information about the College and perspectives on our bright future, and will craft a prospectus that will be used to advertise the presidential opening and attract candidates.
Mid-to-Late Fall: Storbeck Search will recruit a strong, diverse pool of exceptional candidates, with ongoing guidance from our search committee.
Early Winter: The search committee will interview the most promising candidates and decide on a group of finalists, who will be invited for confidential visits on campus.
Late Winter: Based on interviews of the finalists, the Board of Trustees will appoint the College’s next president, who will take office July 1, 2022.”
As the College enters the early winter stage of its plan, President Schutt provided an update on behalf of the search committee via email to the campus community on October 26.
Within the update, the committee shares that the search is progressing and remains on schedule.
“The search committee met last week to discuss our progress and begin a systematic review of applications. This initial review, the first of several stages in the candidate vetting process, will continue throughout the fall,” the message states.
As the College begins to explore candidates, Lowry shares what Lake Forest College has envisioned for its next, fourteenth president.
“Desired qualities include experience managing a research-active faculty, experience around pedagogy at the graduate and undergraduate levels, research experience, experience in fundraising and campaigns, experience in branding and an individual having both Chicago and global networks,” Lowry says.
In the campus-wide update message, it also includes information for those looking to share potential candidates and contribute to the search efforts.
“We ask once more for your help in identifying promising prospects or people who can suggest such prospects. Please reach out to our consulting team, Shelly Storbeck, Ruth Shoemaker Wood, and Lindsay Allison of Storbeck Search at lakeforestpresident@storbecksearch.com, with names and contact information related to any potential candidates. The nominations and suggestions that we receive from those closest to the Lake Forest community may be among the most meaningful in the process of candidate generation,” the message states.
In the coming weeks, the committee plans to reduce the number of applicants to a smaller pool of candidates who are further reviewed and evaluated.
As Lake Forest College looks forward to its next leader, Lowry shares the committee’s vision for the future.
“The next president of Lake Forest College will bring experience as a thought leader who values both a liberal arts education and professional studies. Our next president will enrich and expand the College’s innovative approach around building career pipelines, as we prepare our students for the world of work. The next president will be well prepared to implement new directions emerging from the campus planning underway this year, including the DEI long-term planning initiative.”
The search committee plans to provide periodic updates to the campus community throughout the winter, with an announcement of the next President of Lake Forest College planned for late winter 2022.
Those interested in more information about the search process can visit: https://www.lakeforest.edu/about-us/presidential-search
