U of A presidential search to move forward with 'speed'

The Arizona Board of Regents has a “desire to move with some speed” on the University of Arizona’s presidential search, the search advisory committee was told in its first meeting Wednesday.

“All of you have very busy schedules, but we’re asking you to prioritize this,” Chad Sampson, the board’s interim executive director, told the 18 faculty, staff and Tucson community members chosen for the committee.

Regent Doug Goodyear echoed Sampson’s points: “We don’t want to be bureaucratic; we want to be able to move fast.”

Two weeks ago, UA President Robert C. Robbins announced he plans to step down by June 2026. Robbins has been under fire from students, faculty, staff and community members amid the UA’s $162 million deficit. In a statement at the time, ABOR Chair Cecilia Mata said the national search for his successor would “move forward with expediency.”

The 18-member search committee, publicly announced on Monday, includes three regents, five professors, one student and various university leaders and community members.

The group is “smaller than most,” Regent Fred DuVal acknowledged in his remarks.

“We would have loved to have had every college and every constituency be a part of the committee, of course, but the goal here was to be nimble and to cover as much of the campus as we could with the size that we have,” DuVal said.

ABOR is hosting a town hall on April 24 for community members to share what they’re looking for from the next university president. The committee will meet that day, as well.

“I would suggest that this is probably one of the more important presidential searches in this institution’s history, given where we are,” said David Hahn, the dean of the College of Engineering. “I’m really glad to be here.”

As for what committee members are looking for in a new university president?

“Communication has to be at the forefront of everything this person does,” said Lucinda Rankin, associate professor of physiology. “Each individual person deserves to have a voice with the president.”

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Rankin added that “the community (needs) to regain the faith they have in this university.”

Joellen Russell, a faculty senator who chaired the provost search committee, said she is looking for someone with an academic background.

“I worry about getting folks from outside of academia who may not be able to hit the ground running in the way that we need,” she said. “I’d like to see somebody who is a top scholar and teacher. I’d like to see somebody who’s a top recruiter within academia.”

A “values-based leader” is something Desiree Reed-Francois, the UA’s new athletics director, is hoping for, she said.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are important values within the UA, said Marla Franco, vice president of Hispanic serving institution initiatives. The next university president should continue that legacy, she said.

“I think the continued focus and prioritization around those efforts so that we can continue to be a leader in that space (is important),” Franco said.

Humberto Lopez, president of H.S. Lopez Family Foundation and a booster of Robbins, defended the outgoing president. He said his comments might make him “disliked” by the committee.

“We have the best president that we’ve had since I’ve been with the university going back to 1969,” Lopez said. “He made one mistake by hiring the wrong CFO ... and he has not been given the chance, the opportunity to fix the problem, which he can fix.”

Despite Lopez’s concern about Robbins’ departure, Mata remains optimistic about the hiring process.

“I promise to work on behalf of the students, our community and our state,” the regents’ chair told the group. “We’re going to work together and make (this) a successful search.”