We are writing with an update about the search for the inaugural Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity. We are happy to report that we had a strong pool of applicants for the position. The applicants appreciated the transparency and institutional self-awareness articulated in the position profile. We have invited four candidates to participate in virtual finalist interviews in early March from this strong pool of applicants.

Finalists will interview the President’s Cabinet, the Interim Chief Diversity Officer, campus diversity and equity leaders, direct reports, and President Crawford. In addition, they will engage in two open forums, one for the entire campus community and one for students. We encourage you to participate in the campus open forums as you can. Students will receive a separate email with details regarding the student forums. Students are welcome to attend both the campus and student open forums. The dates and times for the campus forums are below. Video recordings will be available to the Puget Sound community for 24 hours after they are posted for those who cannot attend the campus forum.

You can provide feedback about each candidate via an online survey. Those links will be shared closer to the interview dates.

Forty-eight hours before each candidate’s visit, you can find Puget Sound password-protected links to see candidate application materials and links to the open forums at pugetsound.edu/vpdi-search/finalists. Please note that materials for our first candidate will be available on Sunday, Feb. 28.

Protecting the privacy of our candidates is a critical part of maintaining the integrity of this search and honoring where each candidate is in their professional process. To protect the privacy of each candidate, please remember to hold the candidates’ names and materials in confidence throughout the process. Additionally, please do not share or distribute any candidate materials.

Campus Open Forum Dates and Times:

Candidate 1:
Tuesday, March 2
10:30 a.m.–noon

Candidate 2:
Wednesday, March 3
1:30–3:00 p.m.

Candidate 3:
Thursday, March 4
12:45–2:15 p.m.

Candidate 4:
Friday, March 5
8:30–10:00 a.m.

Your input has been invaluable throughout the search process. We thank you in advance for your thoughtful participation in this final stage of the search.

Sincerely,

Uchenna Baker, Ph.D. | Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Amy Ryken, Ph.D. | Dean and Distinguished Professor in the School of Education