Search Process

Pre-Recruitment Research
Keystone College is a unique institution with a history and culture all its own. Understanding that uniqueness, the strengths and challenges that the College experiences, and the conditions and environment in which it exists, are key to finding the individual uniquely qualified to be the next President.

RPA Inc. will conduct research to gain that understanding.

Offer your opinion by completing the Presidential Characteristics Survey.

Assembling the Candidate Pool
For approximately six weeks, RPA Inc. will concentrate on developing the candidate pool. This highly confidential process includes contacting thousands of individuals by telephone, letter, and email to seek nominations of higher education professionals, nonprofit executives, business professionals, and government leaders. RPA Inc. team members will select from a database, which includes individuals in virtually every college and university in the nation, those potential candidates whose experience, competence, style, and character indicate they would be a good fit for Keystone College. Our experienced recruitment specialists will discuss the opportunity with likely prospects and elicit their candidacies. A key activity during this phase of the search is the receipt of nominations for the position.  If you know of an individual whom you would like to nominate, we ask you contact us directly at 800-992-9277 or at keystonepres@rpainc.org.

Candidate Evaluation
About ten weeks into the search process, the Search Committee will begin to evaluate the candidate pool and move the most highly qualified candidates forward in the search process. Using uniform, objective evaluation instruments, the Committee will rank candidates through a multi-tiered process that will reduce the number of candidates in stages. The Committee will recommend the top candidates to the Board of Trustees for consideration.  The stages of evaluation include: 

• Prequalifying – RPA Inc. consultants conduct structured telephone interviews to ensure that applicants have the appropriate qualifications and background to be considered serious candidates for the presidency at Keystone College.  

• Semifinalist Review – Undertaken by the Search Committee and facilitated by RPA Inc., this review is based on the candidates’ curricula vitae and the outcome of the thorough prequalifying interview. At this point, the Search Committee will reduce the candidate pool to a qualified group of semifinalists. 

• Reference Checks – RPA Inc. and the Search Committee conduct thorough reference checks, speaking with individuals who have worked for and with the candidates and those who have supervised them in the past. These initial reference checks will not be conducted without the consent of the candidates to ensure their confidentiality.  

• Neutral Site Interviews – The Search Committee will interview a small group of outstanding candidates to assess their competencies, presence, fit, and interest in the College.   

• Campus Visits – At this stage, three to five candidates and perhaps their spouses are invited to visit the campus and meet with College constituencies. The Search Committee will compile data on the reaction of College constituencies to each individual and recommend the candidates that they find acceptable.

Recruiting the President Elect
While part of the search process is identifying the candidate the College needs and wants, an equally important part is making sure the top candidate wants to become a part of the history of Keystone College.  RPA Inc. facilitates the establishment and nurturance of a relationship between the institution and its leading candidate. 

To ensure that due diligence is met, in-depth, independent confirmation of the academic and employment credentials of the winning candidate as well as additional reference checks are carried out. The Chair of the Search Committee will conduct additional reference checks. 

After appropriate negotiations, the Board of Trustees will announce the new President Elect to the Keystone College community.