The board that will hire the University of Arizona’s next president is putting together a road map for the process and bringing in professional help.
The Arizona Board of Regents expects to announce next week its choice of an executive search consultant to help identify prospective candidates for the Tucson school’s top job.
The UA’s next president should be “selected and in place by next summer,” board chair Greg Patterson said in a statement following a special board meeting in Phoenix Wednesday.
UA President Ann Weaver Hart recently announced she will step down as president and stay on as a faculty member when her presidential contract expires in June 2018.
It’s unclear what Hart’s role would be during the final year of her contract if a new UA president takes over in 2017.
Board members have some idea of the characteristics they seek in the UA’s next leader. Business acumen, entrepreneurial vision, strong interpersonal skills and a record of “distinguished achievement in higher education or related fields of endeavor,” are among the qualities regents cited when seeking proposals from consultants interested in leading the UA search.
A more detailed leadership profile is being developed and will be made public the week of Sept. 22
Patterson, the regents board chair, is in the process of choosing search committee members and will announce his picks the week of Sept. 11.
