Help Wanted - Regental Style

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE SELECTION OF A PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF REGENTS (CLOSED SESSION)

November 14, 2024

TO THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS PERTAINING TO PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH CRITERIA AND POTENTIAL APPLICANTS

Board vote: Regents Anguiano, Batchlor, Beharry, Chu, Cohen, Elliott, Hernandez, Kounalakis, Leib, Makarechian, Pérez, Reilly, Robinson, Salazar, Sarris, and Sures voting “aye.” 

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CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY

The University of California, the nation’s preeminent public research university, seeks an exceptional and visionary leader with a commitment to public higher education to be its 22nd President. The President will provide leadership for the University’s ten campuses, six medical centers, three affiliated national laboratories, and statewide agriculture and natural resources program. The UC system comprises 295,500 students, 25,400 faculty, 173,300 staff, 2.6 million alumni, and an operating budget of $51.4 billion.

The following criteria for the role of the President of the University have been established based upon broad consultation with advisory groups of faculty, students, staff, and alumni. While a candidate may not be able to demonstrate excellence in all of these areas, a successful applicant is likely to meet many of these standard attributes. Although a terminal degree and exceptional academic administrative experience are preferred, the Board of Regents also welcomes and encourages candidates who have achieved noteworthy success in their respective fields outside higher education.

Academic Excellence

 Knowledge of the academic enterprise. Possesses understanding of and appreciation for the University; its distinctive culture of shared governance; its teaching, research and public service mission; and the context of the student body.

 A commitment to the recruitment and retention of exceptional faculty, as well as senior management personnel committed to professional development, employee engagement, equitable compensation, and making the University an employer of choice.

 A commitment to engaging faculty, students, and represented and policy-covered staff when formulating plans to understand their unique challenges and needs through dedicated meetings and other forums.

 Capacity to engage with health system leaders to mitigate risk, leverage UC’s impactful health sciences enterprise, and take advantage of opportunities in the rapidly changing healthcare environment while balancing the clinical and medical education missions.

 Familiarity with an academic health system, national research laboratories, and/or other entities similar to those housed in UC.

 Experience with the strategic investment of resources in emerging fields where the University of California may demonstrate and leverage its intellectual dynamism for the benefit of the State, the nation, and the world.

Leadership

 An inspirational and visionary leader with passion and the ability to effectively communicate the value of the University to the State, inspiring stakeholders to be committed to sustaining and growing the University’s excellence; a proven ability to deliver impactful presentations to diverse audiences, including the press, government officials, other key stakeholders, and the public at large. 

 A forward-thinking leader who has the ability to articulate a clear vision and rally the University community under a shared mission, inspiring confidence and trust with both internal stakeholders and external partners, allowing facilitation in strategic planning within the changing state, nation, and global landscape.

 Ability to manage the various components of UC’s mission – education, research, and public service – when making decisions and aligning resources, policies, and initiatives with the university’s strategic goals, ensuring that UC remains a leader in addressing societal challenges.

 Ability to demonstrate resilience in the face of the pressures of overseeing one of the largest public research university systems; capacity to effectively identify and/or manage and mitigate crises and controversies and make tough decisions in times of crisis while ensuring collaboration and maintaining trust.

 Ability to lead UC’s efforts to address issues critical to its stakeholders by capitalizing upon its myriad strengths while appreciating and respecting the unique histories, challenges, and opportunities of each campus and UC location (e.g., engaging with academic, community, and legislative leaders in developing climate action solutions and addressing technological changes in higher education such as remote learning, adoption of digital systems and artificial intelligence tools, and system-wide cybersecurity).

 Deep understanding of the social, political, economic, business, and legal landscape within California, and the political acumen and experience to be an effective advocate and spokesperson for the University with the Governor, state and federal leaders, and the public.

 Ability to successfully advocate for public funding and secure the financial resources from both private and public sources that are necessary to support and enhance the University’s impact and ensure that an accessible and affordable education is available to qualified California students.

 A bold and collaborative leadership style that reflects humility, compassion, and thoughtfulness, and the ability to work well as part of a team.

 An adaptive and collegial leadership approach that will leverage UC’s system of shared governance and a demonstrated track record of consulting with multiple constituencies in developing plans and proposals and managing progress toward achieving agreed upon goals.

 Ability to promote a sense of belonging within the University community and a demonstrated, measurable track record of advocacy for and advancement of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.

 A commitment to leading a university that serves the diverse population of California and protects free speech and academic freedom while fostering an inclusive and safe environment.

 Commitment to taking a proactive stance on issues of power and inequality, ensuring that policies and practices promote social justice and equity across the University system and speak to all; the ability to be a champion for marginalized voices and a leader who can address systemic issues within the institution.

 Experience working with large Boards as a thought partner and innovator, while respecting the fiduciary responsibility of the Board for the institution and prioritizing the ethical responsibility of the University of California as a public institution.

 Experience with sustainability practices and the ability to provide informed and decisive leadership to meet or surpass UC’s ambitious sustainability goals across all areas of university operations, including the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions systemwide by 2045.

Management

 Experience leading large, complex institutions in either academia, industry, government, and/or the public, non-profit sector.

 Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing effective, large-scale organizational systems, with a focus on streamlining processes, fostering collaboration, and promoting adaptability in complex environments.

 Experience working with diverse teams to manage positive and productive organizational change within a large, complex, and dynamic environment where success is achieved in partnership and collaboration with students, faculty, and staff rather than solely through direct authority.

 The ability to manage competing demands and make difficult decisions to ensure a stable university infrastructure.

 Broad management and executive experience, understanding of complex budgets, and the skills to manage and allocate resources effectively. Experience leading institutions through economic challenges under conditions of fiscal constraint and uncertainty.

 Demonstrated capacity to partner effectively within a multi-campus and organizationally diverse university system and serve as an effective spokesperson for the university across stakeholder groups (alumni, faculty, governor, legislature, public, staff, and students).

 A proven history of developing high-performing teams and cultivating environments with a shared sense of mission and culture that encourages entrepreneurism, inclusion, transparency, belonging, excellence, and collaboration.

 Experience working with organized labor and policy-covered employees, with a history of fostering positive labor-management relations, and a commitment to successful collective bargaining and equitable workforce policies.

 Ability to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, policy, and ethical principles and to serve as guardian of the public trust.

 Commitment and demonstrated experience fostering a positive workplace and campus climate that reflects the values of the University.

 The capacity to enhance the University of California’s current organizational structure in a manner that creates a cohesive and well-integrated system that prominently champions the contributions and strengths of each individual component institution, leveraging their collective resources to heighten the system’s reputation and impact and promote a compelling vision for the future.

Personal Characteristics

 A commanding presence and strong interpersonal skills with exceptional listening and negotiation skills applied across a broad spectrum of constituents and stakeholders including students, faculty, staff, unions, alumni, state and federal government officials and legislators, business leaders, and other higher education leaders, both in California and nationally.

 Inspiring, visionary, and collaborative leader who can influence others to achieve common goals by engaging and developing robust relationships with stakeholders and maintaining a visible and active presence across UC locations, throughout California, and nationally.

 A genuine passion for and recognition of students and their centrality to the University’s mission and a dedication to the University of California’s commitment to educational access, affordable education, and student/alumni success.

 Commitment to prioritizing the public service mission of the University.

 Commitment to academic freedom and expanding the frontiers of academic inquiry.

 An engaging leadership style that will activate the university’s 2.6 million alumni in diverse ways and uplift volunteerism, advocacy, and philanthropy for the benefit of the university and the state.

 Commitment to integrity, excellence, and transparency in all University affairs and to developing and enhancing public trust in the University and higher education.

 The capacity to assume a position of significant stature within the State of California, nationally, and globally as an effective thought leader in higher education and in addressing the grand challenges impacting society and humankind in changing and uncertain times.

 The ability to adapt to and lead, innovate, and strategize in a rapidly changing technological environment, recognizing the need to navigate the complexities of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in higher education. 

Source: https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/aar/novj.pdf.