Superintendent/President Search 2024-2025
We are searching for one highly qualified individual to become College of the Desert’s
next Superintendent/President.
College of the Desert is seeking an individual with the right combination of experience,
knowledge, skills, and abilities to lead the district and stakeholders towards increased
student success and overall institutional effectiveness.
Reporting to the Board of Trustees and working alongside the College of the Desert
Foundation and local community and organizations, the Superintendent/President will
work to sustain and amplify a culture of diversity, inclusivity and innovation in
which students can thrive and achieve their academic and vocational goals.
We want feedback!
Feedback as a student, faculty, staff, alumni, or community member is an integral
part of the District’s search for its next Superintendent/President. This will be
an opportunity for various District constituents to share their thoughts, perspectives,
and comments on the professional background and qualities sought in the new Superintendent/President.
The information gathered will inform the development of the job announcement and assist
the Search Committee in establishing the job-related criteria by which applicants
will be evaluated.
There are two ways to submit feedback:
Listening Sessions
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Survey
For those unable to attend a listening session but would like to share your thoughts,
please feel free to submit your comments electronically through the following confidential survey:
Search Process and Timeline
Information about the presidential search process and timeline is available.
Search Timeline (As of August 29, 2024) - Download PDF Version
Pre-Search meeting
- Lay out process, meetings needed
- Discuss search profile development
- Establish listening session dates
Meet with point of contact with Marketing and Communications to confirm profile completion
Listening Session Survey Link Opens
COD approves Advertising Plan
Listening Sessions –
AGB Search conducts the Listening Sessions with campus stakeholders
- 50-minute sessions with various stakeholder groups
- A survey link will be provided to HR for distribution to stakeholders August 26th
and close on September 5th.
AGB Search will submit draft of feedback from the listening sessions to Marketing
and Communications. This will include Challenges, Opportunities, and Professional/Personal
Attributes and Qualifications
Final version of profile draft for board review
Board Meeting: approve JD and Leadership Profile
Launch Superintendent/President Search
Search Committee Meeting # 1 – (1.5 hours) Via Zoom
- Introductions – Search Committee members
- Overview, orientation, schedules, search committee role and responsibilities, AGB
role
- Introduce Confidentiality Agreement
- Review of the timeline and search process
- Candidate Pool development process through AGB Search portal
- Committee members to receive link to determine committee meeting dates and times by
September 30, 2024
AGB Search will share draft of the following documents for committee review prior
to Search Committee Meeting II.
- Draft Candidate Assessment Form prior to search committee receiving access to the
AGB Search portal (ShareFile)
- Draft semifinalist interview questions to be finalized prior to access to the AGB
portal
Search Committee Meeting #II (3 hours) - Via Zoom
- Anti-bias in the Search and Selection Process Workshop (2 hours)
- Review candidate assessment process
- Search update
- Confirm Candidate Assessment Form prior to search committee receiving access to the
AGB Search portal (ShareFile)
- Discuss A=Competitive, B= Less Competitive C=Not Competitive folder format
- Review and confirmation of the semifinalist interview schedule
Search Chair will send the following to AGB Search
- Candidate Assessment Form Finalized
- Semifinalist interview questions finalized
AGB will provide instructions to access the secure website
Committee receives access to the AGB Search Portal to begin reviewing candidate materials
“Full Consideration” Deadline for Applications
Noon Deadline: Search Committee members send their individual maximum top 8 candidates
to AGB Search consultants
Search Committee Meeting #III (3 hours)Select Semi-Finalists (6 – 8)
- Consultants contact chosen candidates
- AGB Search starts reference checking, social media, and Courtlink background checks
- Review the semifinalist interview schedule
Search Committee Meeting #IV – In-Person 8:00 am – 5:00 pmSemifinalist Interviews
- Conduct interviews over 2-3 days
- Interview 1 hour, candidate questions 30 minutes
- 15-minute break in between interviews
- 30-minute lunch break
- Debrief to select finalists (3 – 5) end of last day
- AGB provides initial due diligence reports
- Search Committee recommends 3-5 candidates for in person interviews with the chancellor
and board
- ABG Search initiates extensive background check on finalists
- AGB Search sends draft questions for finalists to system office
- Finalist Nexis/Lexus background checks
- Finalist Reference checks
Finalist Interviews - In-Person(3 - 5 candidates - 1 Full Day) – Confidential Interviews
- Board interviews candidates
- Finalist Public Forums
Board Meeting: Board approves new COD Superintendent/President and sets official start-date
NOTE: The District and AGB recognize the importance of maintaining flexibility in
scheduling some of the steps of the recruitment process to meet the operational need
of the District as well as respond to candidate and committee availability. Should
the recruitment process not conclude on the presented end date, a modified schedule
shall be presented to the Board for approval.
Board Approved Committee Structure
At its August 16, 2024, regular meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the Superintendent/President
Search Committee structure. Due to the confidentiality of the process, only the structure
will be posted.
View the structure
Job Post
Interested candidates are invited to learn more about the superintendent/president
position by reading the full job announcement.