Judith A. Wilde and James H. Finkelstein, George Mason University, writing in Academe Magazine: “Executive search firms, as currently operated, pres­ent serious challenges to the governance structures and academic integrity of our institutions. In certain instances, these firms can also pose a threat to an institution’s reputation and even its finances. Their growing influence has come at a steep cost—weakening shared governance, reducing transparency, and undermining public trust. These are not minor procedural concerns; they are fundamental threats to institutional autonomy, the diversity of academic lead­ership, and the future of academic freedom itself.” Read more here.