procurement C004224 executive search firm geneseo president september 2024.pdf

State University of New York System Administration

Procurement Number C004224 Executive Search Firm – SUNY Geneseo President

Project Specifications – September 27, 2024

Procurement Description

The State University of New York College at Geneseo (SUNY Geneseo) wishes to recruit and select a

President for the institution. SUNY System Administration is supporting this recruitment effort by seeking proposals from executive search firms capable of assisting the College and the search committee with this process.

The successful Bidder must be available to commence immediately and must commit to being always personally and/or virtually available to the search committee during the search. The successful bidder will work closely with the search committee and SUNY System Administration in the development and implementation of recruitment strategies. The successful bidder will identify, recruit, and encourage potential applicants, review the qualifications of all applicants, and verify the credentials of all finalists.

The successful Bidder will also assist SUNY System Administration and the search committee in preparing for visits by candidates and in the finalization of details of the employment contract with the candidate selected for the position.

The search for the college president will be conducted according to the State University of New York guidelines. A search committee representing the College Council, the college’s faculty, professional and support staff, its students and alumni, the SUNY Geneseo Foundation and the larger SUNY community will review applications, screen candidates, and make recommendations to the SUNY chancellor and the

SUNY Board of Trustees.

About SUNY Geneseo

Reporting to the chancellor of the State University of New York, the president of SUNY Geneseo is responsible for the administration of one of the most highly regarded liberal arts colleges in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Founded in 1871 as a normal and training school, SUNY Geneseo is one of the original campuses of the SUNY system, which was established in 1948. It has evolved into a nationally recognized, selective public liberal arts honors college with undergraduate and graduate programs of study. SUNY Geneseo is proud of its status as New York’s sole member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC).

As part of its liberal arts mission, Geneseo prepares its students to become responsible and engaged citizens who can assist the communities in which they live to become more diverse and inclusive, more globally aware, and more sustainable. Because of its mission and the quality of its educational programs, Geneseo attracts more than 3,900 undergraduates and approximately 60 graduate-level bright, inquisitive, highly motivated, and socially responsible students who make the most of the opportunities college affords them. With a mean high school grade-point average of 93.6, Geneseo is among the most selective of the SUNY comprehensive colleges.

Geneseo has carved a distinctive niche in the higher education market by competing for outstanding students with some of the most exceptional private colleges in the nation. The institution offers more than 150 programs of study, including 60 undergraduate degree programs, 26 interdisciplinary minors, 21 micro credentials, and graduate programs in accounting, history, and education.

https://coplac.org/ https://coplac.org/

SUNY Geneseo’s combination of a talented faculty dedicated to student learning and a student body able and eager to rise to high expectations produces impressive student outcomes. Geneseo has one of the top two highest four-year graduation rates among the 64 SUNY institutions and ranks in the top 15 in the nation among public institutions for its six-year graduation rates among recipients of federal Pell Grants. It is also among the top institutions in the country of its type in the number of alumni with doctorates in STEM disciplines, the number of Fulbright US Student Program awards, and the number of Peace Corps volunteers it produces.

The College Council of SUNY Geneseo and the entire college community of faculty, staff and students seek a visionary, inspiring, and entrepreneurial leader who possesses strong leadership skills and can continue to position SUNY Geneseo as one of the nation’s most distinguished public liberal arts honors college. The ideal candidate will have the ability to work effectively within a comprehensive university system committed to improving the economy and quality of life for the citizens of the state of New York.

SUNY Geneseo is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, with additional accreditations awarded to the School of Business and Ella Cline Shear School of Education.

More information about the College can be found at https://www.geneseo.edu/.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

Contract Period

One year upon approval of the NYS Office of the State Comptroller, with an option for one no-cost three-month extension. It is expected that the selected search firm will commence services immediately following contract approval.

Scope of Services

SUNY is seeking full-service executive search and recruitment firms. The firms must have an excellent understanding of the executive search and recruitment process at the highest level. Bidders must be able to provide all the services below for a full search process, up to and including the point of final appointment and must indicate in their proposal their ability to do so.

Coordination and Analysis

• Coordinating with SUNY System Administration and the search committee and others involved in the search process;

• Analyzing position needs;

• Working with the search committee to create a job description and profile.

https://www.geneseo.edu/ http://www.suny.edu/

Market Intelligence

• Provide information on salary and other compensation to attract top candidates.

Recruitment Strategy

• Develop and prepare quality recruitment strategies and materials;

• Identify, recruit, and encourage diverse potential applicants;

• Prepare collateral materials to inform and attract diverse qualified candidates;

• Create a pool of diverse and outstanding candidates.

Advertising and Screening

• Coordinate advertising, recruitment, and screening processes, including but not limited to advertising in appropriate journals and news media;

• Conduct a comprehensive sourcing program to identify diverse qualified candidates;

• Develop a pre-screening method with the search committee to select semi-finalists;

• Review qualifications and verify credentials of all finalists.

Search Process Coordination

• Meet with search committee regularly and keep them informed of the search status;

• Coordinate procedural and administrative aspects;

• Develop a quality prospectus for the position;

• Schedule and coordinate interviews;

• Provide logistical support for site and virtual meetings, including interviews. Locations may be in Albany, on campus, or other mutually agreeable locations based on search committee member locations.

Reference and Background Checks

• Conduct a thorough candidate screening process including comprehensive reference checking to ensure there are “no surprises” for qualified candidates. This includes extensive reference and background checks (peers, colleagues, supervisees, supervisor, etc.) and verifying credentials that meet requirements set by system;

• Provide feedback on references throughout the process.

Evaluation and Selection

• Facilitate an evaluation and selection process with the search committee to identify the preferred candidate;

• Provide professional notification to all candidates of decisions made.

Guarantee of Work

Bidding firms must guarantee the following in their proposal:

● Scenario A: If, within one (1) year following the employment start date of the candidate recruited by the winning bidder SUNY (1) terminates that employee for any reason other than the employee’s death or disability, or SUNY’s change of ownership or organizational realignment or (2) the employee otherwise leaves employment with SUNY for any reason other than the employee’s death or disability; then the winning bidder shall reopen the search, and no additional fee shall be due from SUNY to the winning bidder, provided that the reopened search commences within three (3) months of the employment termination date, unless SUNY and the winning bidder agree to a later re-launch date.

● Scenario B: If an engagement does not result in SUNY’s hiring a successful candidate within the contract term or any term extension (as defined below), then SUNY may, in its sole discretion, elect to extend the term of the contract for an additional period of up to three-months. Contractor shall use its reasonable best efforts to finish the search to SUNY’s satisfaction during the extended term and no additional professional fee shall be due in exchange for such efforts, other than any portion of the professional fee remaining due in accordance with the Agreement.

If a search is reopened in accordance with Scenario A of the Guarantee, then SUNY will be responsible only for payment of advertising and candidate travel. If a search is reopened in accordance with

Scenario B of the Guarantee, then SUNY will be responsible only for payment of advertising and candidate travel and for any portion of the professional fee remaining due in accordance with the

Agreement. Under the contractor’s guarantee, in either scenario, SUNY will not be subject to payment of an additional professional fee.

Content of Proposals

All proposals should include:

1. A detailed Work Plan that includes the firm’s overall comprehensive executive search strategy, its approach to this engagement, and how the firm is able to meet the demands of multiple clients simultaneously.

2. A detailed Profile of the firm that includes the number of years the company or its officers have been engaged in providing comparable services to educational institutions. This should include the firm’s understanding of the executive search and recruitment process at the highest of academic levels. Include a list of colleges and universities for which the firm has successfully recruited Chancellors, Presidents, and other leadership positions related to optometric operations.

3. Detail regarding the firm’s strategies, experience and success in recruiting women and minority candidates, as well as its strategy for attracting diverse pools of applicants.

4. Detail regarding the firm’s capacity to conduct a fully or nearly virtual search and evidence of having done so previously.

5. At least three references from institutions of higher education for whom your firm recently completed presidential and executive leadership searches.

6. A cost proposal. For this position, SUNY anticipates an estimated first-year annual salary in the range of $225,000 to $375,000. Firms should bid an all-inclusive flat fee in dollars, not a percentage of first-year salary. The all-inclusive flat fee must include all of the firm’s costs of doing business. SUNY makes no reimbursement for the firm’s travel, travel-related expenses, or any other cost of doing business.

7. Certification regarding NYS Executive Order No. 16. All bidders must complete and submit the certification found in the link below.

https://ogs.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/04/eo16_certification.pdf

Cost of Advertising and Candidate Travel

Advertising:

The firm will be required to place all pre-approved advertising on behalf of the University; however, the publication will invoice SUNY Geneseo who will pay the publication directly.

Candidate Travel:

The firm will be required to make all travel arrangements on behalf of the candidates; however, travel costs will be paid by the candidate. The candidate will provide its receipts to the firm, the firm will then send the receipts to SUNY Geneseo who will directly reimburse the candidate for reasonable travel expenses only limited to the maximum New York State allowable rates, which are available at http://www.osc.state.ny.us/agencies/travel/travel.htm

Questions

Questions are due by October 11, 2024, at 5:00 pm eastern time. Email questions to the primary designated contact identified below, with a copy to the secondary contact. Answers to all questions received will be provided on approximately October 21, 2024.

Submission of Proposals

Proposals are due by October 28, 2024, at 5:00 pm eastern time. Proposals may be submitted electronically or hard copy. If submitting electronically, please do not submit your proposal as a zip file and do not password-protect your proposal.

Please email your proposal to (do not submit questions to this email address):

contract.unit@suny.edu

Or mail hard copy to:

Jordan Lohre Director of Contract Procurement SUNY System Administration H. Carl McCall SUNY Building, S110 353 Broadway Albany, New York 12246

Contract Award

The State University of New York intends to make this award under its discretionary authority, pursuant to NYS Education Law §355(5)(a), which is up to $125,000. A sealed bid opening will not be held. There is no RFP or IFB. Inquiries are to be made by email only and only to the designated contacts identified https://ogs.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/04/eo16_certification.pdf http://www.osc.state.ny.us/agencies/travel/travel.htm http://www.osc.state.ny.us/agencies/travel/travel.htm http://www.osc.state.ny.us/agencies/travel/travel.htm mailto:contract.unit@suny.edu below. SUNY will make no reimbursement for travel or travel-related expenses. The University reserves the right to make no award.

Designated Contacts

Primary Secondary

Jordan Lohre Joseph Portelli Director of Contract Procurement Contract Administrator jordan.lohre@suny.edu joseph.portelli@suny.edu 518-320-1341 518-320-1341

Important

In accordance with NYS Procurement Lobbying Law, the Restricted Period for this procurement has begun and will continue through contract approval. During this time, bidders, potential bidders and interested vendors may only contact the designated contacts identified above. All communication pertaining to this procurement must be directed to the designated contacts. Do not contact any other

SUNY official. Doing so may jeopardize the procurement and/or may lead to disqualification of the bidder’s proposal.

mailto:jordan.lohre@suny.edu mailto:joseph.portelli@suny.edu