Amidst the national elections, Fort Lewis College is also going through a similar search for a new president to oversee the community.

In the spring semester of 2024, previous FLC president Tom Stritikus left to fill the role of a similar title at Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. During that time Steve Schwartz took his position as interim president. 

“When our prior president Tom announced his departure, he called me and asked if that would be something I would be interested in, you know, taking on the interim role while they were searching for a new president,” Steve Schwartz, interim president at FLC said. 

The Board of Trustees had to approve the decision, and with 27 years of experience at the Fort the choice seemed logical, Schwartz said. 

As an alumni from the School of Business, Schwartz said he accepted the interim position due to his love for the institution, and as a way to reinvent himself despite the challenges.

Schwartz said the search for a permanent president is being handled by the President Search Committee and the Board of Trustees, and the representatives have students’ interests in mind. 

The presidential search process will take up the remainder of the year due to how expansive it will be, Janet Lopez, chair of the President Search Committee said.

BEFORE THE SEARCH

Lopez said the search began with the selection of a partnered firm over the summer. 

In August, the Board of Trustees decided on hiring a national firm called Bufkin and Baker to help with the search, Lopez said. 

The interest in that firm came from their previous collaboration with similar colleges to Fort Lewis, in terms of size and diverse student populations, Lopez said. 

During those meetings over the summer, the Board of Trustees decided to make the search closed, unlike how previous searches have gone, Lopez said. 

The committee is responsible for reviewing applications, conducting interviews and narrowing down the number of candidates for the Board of Trustees, while making sure the community's input is heard and considered during the first phase of the process, Lopez said. 

SEARCH PROCESS

Lopez said the search process can be placed into three phases: preparation, recruitment and review.

After students returned to campus in September, listening sessions were hosted with the community, and a 20-page prospectus was created from the feedback from those sessions, Lopez said.

Lopez said once the recruitment phase is done in January, interviews will be conducted through February and March, followed by a period of due diligence.

Around April students should expect one finalist to visit and meet with the college community, Lopez said. 

Chair of the Board of Trustees Mary Rubadeau said conversations have focused on expanding pre-existing programs such as biology and engineering, but also providing new programs like nursing. 

Reconciliation is also highlighted in the ongoing discussion when deciding on what qualities the next president should incorporate, Lopez said. 

Brittany Bitsilly, member of the Diné tribe, is a student representative on the committee, and the contribution she’s made with the Board of Trustees is a huge responsibility , Rubadeau said.
“There’s not a meeting that goes by with the President’s Cabinet where we’re not mentioning something about reconciliation,” Bitsilly said. 

Bitsilly said she takes students’ concerns to meetings with the Board, whether it’s something she overheard, was told or is experiencing as a student herself. 

Feedback  from an online survey will be included in the discussions, Lopez said.

EXPECTATIONS

The goal for the search is to make sure students receive more opportunities that will set them up for success, whether that’s outside or inside the academics, Rubadeau said. 

“So that's what we've been focused on trying to do, is increase that opportunity for social mobility, for students through really great programs,” Rubadeau said.  “And President Stritikus was very involved in that, and instrumental in getting us so many new opportunities that we want to keep on that

trajectory, momentum of success.” 

Having a president that understands the need for diversity, equity and inclusion on campus is a high priority for students, Lopez said