The Marshall School of Business will soon have a new dean after the sudden termination of dean James Ellis, a USC official announced Thursday in a memorandum. Ellis' removal in December came in response to reports of neglected complaints through the Office of Equity and Diversity.
USC Provost Michael Quick introduced members of the committee that will search for the Marshall dean's replacement in the memo. It had been previously announced by Interim President Wanda Austin in December that Ellis would step down this June. However, Quick wrote that the dean will stay until his replacement is found.
Quick stated in the memo that Marshall wants to "continue the tremendous momentum at the school, which is renowned for its academic rigor, strong interdisciplinary research, and attracting the most talented students and faculty from across the globe" through the upcoming search process.
The advisory search committee, which will be responsible for recruiting prospective candidates, is led by Quick and co-chaired by Andrew Guzman, the Dean of the USC Gould School of Law. Nine faculty members have been selected to serve on the committee as well.
"Personally, I really want someone whose values are consistent with Marshall and USC values and in terms of what kind of community we are, what kind of research institution we are, what kind of teaching institution we are," Ayse Imrohoroglu, search committee member and professor of finance and business economics, said in an interview with Annenberg Media.
Kristine Johnson and Chuck Jordan, from outside recruitment firm Spencer Stuart, and Associate Vice Provost Robin Romans will provide support for the search committee. They will receive additional help from different areas of the university, including the USC Board of Trustees, Marshall Undergraduate Student Association and Graduate Student Association.
One of the advisors is USC Trustee Jaime Lee. Leading up to Thursday's announcement, there has been long-standing differences among the Board of Trustees regarding Ellis' removal. The conflict erupted into rare public disagreements. Some of the trustees expressed concerns with the transparency of the University as well as its leadership.
Eric Holoman, a member of the USC Marshall Board of Leaders, will also serve as an advisor. On Jan. 21, Gregory R. Hillgren, another member of the Board of Leaders, wrote a letter on behalf of the organization calling for the immediate removal of Board of Trustees Chairman Rick Caruso amidst the Ellis controversy. Some students protested on campus in support of Ellis.
Hillgren wrote that the Board of Leaders voted unanimously to oppose Ellis's termination and asked that the trustees "immediately remove Chairman Caruso and place the three senior administrators [Quick, Austin and Carol Mauch Amir, senior vice president, legal affairs and professionalism] on leave," pending an administrative examination. No such action has been taken.
In the memo, Quick also said that the search committee "will be reaching out to the faculty, staff, students, and supporters of the Marshall School during the search process," allowing for feedback and comments.
Quick wrote the committee will follow the same proceedings as with previous dean searches. Comments from outside parties will be addressed by the committee or confidentially by the provost during the final stages of the nation-wide search, the memo said.
It's unclear whether the search for Marshall's new dean will affect the timeline of the presidential search. Through USC Media Relations, the university declined further comment.
While the advisory committee will search for an appropriate replacement, the USC President has the final say. The advisory search committee will hold its first meeting Friday.
Daniel Huynh contributed to this report.