Dear Íř±¬ĂĹ Community,
I am pleased to provide you with an update regarding the University’s presidential search. We spent much of the summer and early fall reaching out to multiple constituencies on campus – over 20 meetings with faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni, local business and political leaders.
Over the course of the last few months, we advertised the position and aggressively contacted over 500 prospective candidates for this position, and to date, we have received and reviewed credentials on approximately 100 individuals. The candidates represent a very diverse pool of leaders from within and outside of higher education, including sitting and former Presidents, Vice Presidents and Deans.
In October and again in early December, the committee conducted preliminary screenings to identify candidates for the first-round of interviews, and now has selected a small group for first-round interviews which will take place in the coming weeks. After these interviews and extensive due diligence, the committee will recommend a group of finalist candidates for the Board’s consideration. The Board will then interview and select our next President.
As a reminder, when we began this search, the Board agreed to proceed with a confidential search process. This process has been used in most of the recent presidential searches at private (and some public) institutions nationally. We have been coordinating with Faculty and Staff Senates to help identify representatives from the campus community who will be invited to meet with the finalist candidates under strict rules of confidentiality. Confidentiality is vital to this model to retain the selected candidates. It is important to note that the structure and makeup of the Search Committee ensures that all areas of the university have a voice in the process. This process is specifically designed to attract and maintain a strong, robust, and diverse applicant pool. We are committed to ensuring our institution’s strong leadership continuity, and we see this transition as a crucial step toward achieving that.
We thank you for understanding that the best candidates require confidentiality and that the committee members have all agreed to abide by this rule.
Thank you for your support as we move forward with this important search.
Sincerely,
Sergio Esteban
Chair, Íř±¬ĂĹ Presidential Search Committee