How were members of the Presidential Search Committee selected?

The Board of Regents chose members that were broadly representative of the University of Michigan community, including all three campuses and Michigan Medicine. Members of the Board of Regents consulted broadly with university leaders to gather recommendations and vet candidates that reflected the breadth of the university. Members of the committee include faculty, staff, students and alumni from a multitude of units across the campuses. The committee also is representative of the broad ethnic and racial diversity of the three campus communities.

Is there a timeline for the Presidential Search? Does the university have a set date for when the next president takes office?

The Presidential Search Committee and the Board of Regents are moving forward expeditiously. Following February’s listening sessions, the committee will focus on developing the job description, which should be released in the spring. The Board of Regents, which is responsible for selecting university presidents according to the state constitution, hopes to make a decision by the summer of 2022.

How can members of the university community provide input during this process?

The Board of Regents and Presidential Search Committee, along with search firm Isaacson, Miller, will host a series of virtual listening sessions throughout February to collect input from the university community. This feedback, along with feedback from an online survey available for anyone to complete, will be used to help develop a job description.

What role does the executive search firm, Isaacson, Miller, serve in the presidential search process?

Isaacson, Miller is a national, employee-owned firm that specializes in recruiting transformative leaders for higher education, the arts, cultural and environmental organizations, foundations, pre-K-12, healthcare, human services, social justice advocacy, and other endeavors that advance the public good.

The firm’s role in this process will be to develop a deep and diverse pool of candidates, each highly qualified to meet Michigan’s needs at this moment in time. The firm will facilitate candidate engagement with the Presidential Search Committee and the Board of Regents, and Isaacson, Miller will support the committee and the Regents through their review and selection process. Isaacson, Miller welcomes applications and nominations for president from the U-M community, submitted here.  All applications and nominations will be kept confidential.

Why is confidentiality so important in a presidential search?

To facilitate the recruitment of high caliber candidate pools, the University of Michigan’s presidential search will be conducted as a confidential search, meaning the identity of candidates will not be publicly disclosed during the search process. This is considered a national best practice. It is done to protect both the candidate and their current community, as candidates who are not selected will likely continue their duties at their respective institutions.