DOWAGIAC — The Southwestern Michigan College Faculty Association wants an expanded search for the college’s eighth president.

The faculty association is urging the board of trustees to widen the search for the next president of the college, following trustees’ decision on Aug. 19 to limit the search to internal candidates only. The college has begun the process of searching for a new leader, following the announcement earlier this month of current president David Mathews’ upcoming retirement.

The faculty association is comprised of approximately 35 to 36 association members, all of whom are faculty. An executive committee is voted in and believes a national search should be conducted.

Robin Shipkosky, the secretary of the faculty association, said when the group first learned Mathews was resigning, they expected the board of trustees would do a national search as they believed this process was important enough to embark down that road.

“We have some very good, excellent internal candidates but how will we ever know that they’re the best if we don’t search outside our own backyard?” Shipkosky said.

As the decision for an internal search took place over the summer, Shipkosky said the association has not seen a number of SMC faculty. However, members feel the executive committee is echoing the feeling of the majority of faculty members. The executive committee, which includes Shipkosky’s role as secretary, is voted in by members. The association plans to have a meeting with the general membership as soon as school starts to discuss the search further.

Shipkosky said she feels the board is taking a short cut in the candidate search process.

“In our view, if it is going to be an internal candidate, we want to know that that internal candidate stacks up against anybody,” Shipkosky said. “Perhaps they will, but we will never know that if we don’t do an external search.”

A big con several trustees mentioned associated with doing an external search was the expense, but Shipkosky said there are other search mechanisms the board could use that are not as costly as a search firm, including maybe posting the job in “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” a newspaper and website that presents news and jobs for colleges and universities.

At the board of trustees meeting when the internal search decision was announced, no motions were made by the Chairman Thomas Jerdon to create a search committee. So far, the faculty association has not been contacted about being involved in a search committee, which the faculty association also sees as an issue. Shipkosky said members have been attending the board of trustee meetings to speak and usually engage in a one-way dialogue, though she said Jerdon occasionally responds to questions.

“There is no open dialogue. None at all,” Shipkosky said.

The group is pushing for more open dialogue and plans to speak at the Sept. 16 meeting to offer its input on what characteristics they want to see in the next SMC president.

She added the search committee should not just be composed of faculty, but of all staff, including the custodial staff or anyone who works at the college. Community members should also be involved, she said.

“We really feel that there needs to be a committee that’s created to help with that search to assist,” Shipkosky said. “We understand the board makes the final decision, but we want the board to be fully equipped to make that decision.”

At the time of publication, several members of the board of trustees, including chairman Tom Jerdon, could not be reached for comment.