It is my understanding that it has generally not been customary for my predecessors to supply a written charge to search committees.  In my opinion, this was a custom which ought not to continue. Clearly provided instructions to the search committee are likely to facilitate your work and achieve a work product, for the school, which will match our expectations.  To this end, I provide the following charge to the Search Committee for the Chair of the Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

The Job Description

You are seeking a Chair of the Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology who will report to the Dean and who will, in turn, be reported to by the faculty and staff of the department.  You are seeking a skilled researcher and academic leader who will fulfill the education and research missions of the department.  Furthermore, good negotiating skills are important to deal with the multiple pulls and tugs of our relationships amongst multiple departments and institutes.  In view of the importance of growing a cadre of young researchers, excellent mentoring skills are also important.  I will also insist that the next chair sustain excellence in medical school and graduate education. 

As I review the current status of the department, I believe it is important to focus on the interfaces of the department and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Medical Education and Dentistry.  First, we are attempting to achieve cancer center designation for the Cancer Center.  We face a very competitive market for additional research funding.  In order to meet the NCI threshold for likely cancer center designation, we need to grow the university’s cadre of NCI-funded investigators while retaining our existing funded investigators.  In the selection of a chairman, I ask the search committee to be mindful of identifying candidates who are likely to foster the effort to achieve cancer center designation — asserted by the President and endorsed by the Board of Trustees as the principal goal of the university.  Please carefully consider individuals with expertise in tumor biology.  Second, our institution has made a major commitment to the clinical neurosciences.  The next chair must work constructively to see the promise of this effort fulfilled.  Third, this department has a major responsibility for medical and dental education in embryology, gross anatomy, neuroanatomy, neurobiology, and fresh tissue – this responsibility must be nurtured.

In any economic undertaking, including the selection of a department chair, you must consider the allocation of resources compared to alternatives.  The University of Louisville School of Medicine has several major commitments either ongoing or upcoming.  We must identify chairs of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Urology, Pathology, and Microbiology/Immunology.  It is likely that several other major chairs will be vacated in the next few years.  This being the case, we all must be good stewards of limited resources. 

Interviews

I ask the committee to conduct a series of interviews with key stakeholders during the selection of the Chairman.  I ask that you interview Chair Roisen, members of the faculty, members of the basic science faculty community, the director of the Cancer Center, and individuals representing other major departments/ divisions/institutes that interact with this department.  I would also be in your debt if you would specifically solicit the views of the Interim Vice President for Research, Dr. William Pierce. 

Advertising

The individual selected may either be an internal or external candidate.  To identify candidates I ask that an appropriate phone and mail campaign be undertaken.  In addition, please run appropriate advertising in journals or websites for two to three months.  I ask you to be careful stewards of resources in the expenditure of money on print advertising — it is unclear whether or not expensive advertisements in print journals are of value in identifying candidates.

The Process

• Please allow twelve to sixteen weeks to receive letters of nomination or applications with accompanying CVs after you begin publicly seeking candidates.

• Check references.

• Conduct at least two rounds of interviews.  I believe it is appropriate, as a matter of courtesy, to offer all internal candidates at least a first round interview. 

• By July 15, 2011, and earlier if possible, please provide me with a list of four to five finalists, unranked.  Under no circumstances include anyone on this list whom the Committee would not feel comfortable being offered the job.

• The last meeting of your committee should be with me wherein members of the committee will have the opportunity to discuss the final list. 

My thanks to the group for being willing to serve. 

E. C. Halperin, MD, MA, FACR