UA Presidential Search Advisory Committee stresses confidentiality

<p>UA Presidential Search Advisory Committee co-chair Bill Ridenour speaks to fellow committee members at the first meeting on Thursday, Oct. 13. The committee is searching for the next UA president and spoke about the importance about confidentiality of the search.</p>

Carmen Valencia

UA Presidential Search Advisory Committee co-chair Bill Ridenour speaks to fellow committee members at the first meeting on Thursday, Oct. 13. The committee is searching for the next UA president and spoke about the importance about confidentiality of the search.

Nick Meyers

The UA Presidential Search Advisory Committee met for the first time on Thursday, Oct. 13 to begin the process of identifying the UA’s next president.

Current UA President, Ann Weaver Hart, announced her decision to not extend her contract via an employee-wide email and an Arizona Board of Regents press release on June 10.

Hart will return as a faculty member in the College of Education after a year-long sabbatical beginning immediately following her official departure from the Office of the President. Regardless of if a replacement is found before her contract terminates in July 2018, Hart will receive her usual salary of $475,000 until her contract runs out.

The committee will begin by identifying 20-30 potential candidates within the next 2-3 months and then carve that list down to eight or 10 before meeting with potential candidates with a final selection of 2-4 from which a candidate will be selected by the board.

The committee said they will search for leadership, experience and communication qualities in the presidential candidates.

Much of the conversation revolved around the necessity for a confidential search.

Committee co-chairs, regents Bill Ridenour and Ron Shoopman, opened up the discussion with the crucial note of confidentiality.

Potential candidates who are publicly identified prior to official notification may turn away from the position, putting the search at risk, according to the committee.

“The need for us to maintain confidentiality of the prospects as we work cannot be overstated, because it puts at risk the search itself,” Shoopman said. “If the people that we are going to be talking to feel that their interest in the university could be compromised, that list will dwindle substantially and immediately.”

The regents hired R. William Funk & Associates, an executive search firm founded by its president, William Funk, to assist with the presidential search.

The firm has helped recruit presidents at about 50 higher-education institutions around the country, including two-thirds of public and half of all institutions in the Association of American Universities, of which UA has been a member since 1985.