UW Presidential Search Committee Incorporates Input, Sets Next Meetings

Based upon input received from a variety of stakeholders in recent listening sessions, the first committee involved in the search for a new University of Wyoming president has updated the position profile used in advertising the job.

Even as recruiting of candidates has been underway for several weeks, the revisions have been made in response to the input received from UW faculty, staff, students and the public. The first search committee met for the second time Friday.

“The changes reflect the desire of stakeholders and the committee to find a leader who’s able to craft a bold vision for the university’s future and pursue academic excellence in all disciplines,” says Jeff Marsh, the UW Board of Trustees member who chairs the first committee. “We also added language about other characteristics we’d like to see, including integrity, character, communication skills and an engaging personality.”

The position profile may be viewed here: www.uwyo.edu/presidentsearch/_files/docs/presidentialprofile2015%20r2.pdf.

Meanwhile, recruiting of candidates for the presidency is well underway, including posting the job opening in the Chronicle of Higher Education, the major publication serving higher education in the United States. The advertisement may be viewed here: https://chroniclevitae.com/jobs/0000902276-01.

The first search committee is charged with helping launch the search, considering applications for the presidency and identifying a list of 10-15 candidates who warrant further consideration. Its members are trustees Marsh, of Torrington (chair), Dave True, of Casper, Mike Massie, of Laramie, Michelle Sullivan, of Sheridan and Mel Baldwin, of Afton; Associate Professor Deborah McGriff of the College of Education; Law Professor Jacquelyn Bridgeman, who has served as interim dean of the College of Law; Noah Hull, doctoral student in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Susan Manown, who’s pursuing law and Master of Business Administration degrees at UW; Kelly Wiseman, staff assistant in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Mark Gunnerson, control specialist in the UW Physical Plant; UW Foundation board member April Brimmer Kunz; Susan Stubson, of Casper; and John Turner, of Moose.

The committee is scheduled to meet again Friday, Oct. 16, to review applications. Another meeting is expected Friday, Nov. 6, for the committee to review additional applications and determine if it’s ready to forward a list of candidates to the second search committee. The meetings will be closed to the public, consistent with the board’s plan to keep the names of candidates confidential until the list of finalists is released.

The second committee is charged with interviewing candidates forwarded by the first committee and selecting three to five finalists. Those finalists will be identified publicly and come to campus for public forums.

As part of the selection process, stakeholders will have an opportunity to meet with the finalists and provide feedback to the Board of Trustees. The full board will conduct separate interviews with each finalist, consider the input from constituents and then fulfill its responsibility to select the next president. That could happen as early as late December.

Members of the second committee are trustees Dave Bostrom, of Worland (chair), John McKinley, of Cheyenne, Dick Scarlett, of Jackson, John MacPherson, of Saratoga and Wava Tully, of Lusk; Professor Cynthia Weinig of the departments of Botany and Molecular Biology, and the Program in Ecology; Professor Jason Shogren of the Department of Economics and Finance; law student Joel Defebaugh, a former president of the Associated Students of UW (ASUW); Brian Schueler, current ASUW president; Josh Decker, manager of UW Real Estate Operations; Rachel Stevens, data and communications manager in the School of Pharmacy; UW Foundation board member Greg Hill; Lynne Cheney, of Jackson; and Lynne Boomgaarden, of Cheyenne.

For complete information about the presidential search, go to www.uwyo.edu/presidentsearch/. Input on the search is still being accepted via email at UW.Presidential.Search@uwyo.edu.