Dickinson has not yet identified the qualities and qualifications it desires in a new Vice President for Advancement, and may not fill the fundraising position until this spring, senior college administrators report.

A new Advancement Vice President will be hired by the end of the 2015-2016 academic year, said Karen Neely Faryniak ’86, chief of Staff and secretary to the college president. The position has been vacant since Oct. 2, 2015, when former Vice President Marsha Ray resigned to pursue other professional opportunities. Ray had been in her role at Dickinson since Oct. 16, 2013.

The Office of Advancement is responsible for fundraising initiatives and allocates resources to hire faculty, sponsor research, build facilities, facilitate scholarships, fund academic, residential and community programming and promote sustainability.

Faryniak said that President Nancy A. Roseman is currently “interviewing executive search firms to assist with a national search for our new vice president for college advancement.” According to Faryniak, hiring a search firm is common for colleges because “going through a search like this is a lot of work.” She explained that,“[these firms have] a wider net to cast in terms of identifying qualified candidates.”

Roseman said she is considering a “number of elements” in her search for the firm.

“One [factor] is whether they will be giving Dickinson their full attention, or are they doing so many other searches for other clients that they are spread too thin,” Roseman said. “I will look at the searches they have done in the past, and whether they have a strong record of placing people at comparable or aspirational institutions.  [Whether] they have a regional or national approach to recruiting candidates is another thing to take into consideration.”

Roseman added that much of the decision would be based on “fit and comfort level” as she will be working closely with the search firm over the course of many months.

Faryniak said Roseman’s “next step” is to articulate the qualities the college is looking for in a candidate, so she can pass the information on to the firm of her choosing. Faryniak did not yet know the process Roseman will use to determine these qualities.

The Office of Advancement has a variety of initiatives to increase student involvement with the office, many established by Ray, such as “Devils Advocates,” who decide where to donate funds, allowing for greater student voice in the decision making process. The future vice president will make decisions about how to fundraise, and who will be included in the process.