Regents invite community input on qualities needed in next U-M president

September 12, 2013

The Board of Regents and the Presidential Search Advisory Committee will host a series of public forums in the weeks ahead to gather broad input on the search for the next president of the University of Michigan. A forum is scheduled Sept. 27 for the Dearborn campus.

"We want to hear from students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members and others as we begin the process of finding the 14th president of this great university," says Regent Laurence Deitch, spokesperson for the board on the presidential search. President Mary Sue Coleman has announced she will retire July 31, 2014.

During the sessions, search consultant Alison Ranney of Russell Reynolds Associates will offer a brief explanation of the search process. Those who attend will have the opportunity to offer responses to questions designed to gather input on the qualities participants hope to see in the next president.

Regent Kathy White, who is coordinating the forums on behalf of the board, says the on-campus sessions have been designed to provide direct input into the search process. "The forums have been scheduled at different locations, during different times of the day to allow for the broadest possible input," she explains.

Members of the Board of Regents and members of the Search Advisory Committee will attend all sessions. While some sessions are designed to include specific audiences, all are open to the public. One session has been scheduled primarily for the UM-Dearborn campus community:

• Sept. 27, 2-3 p.m., BorgWarner Auditorium, UM-Dearborn campus.

Those who are not able to attend the session will have an additional opportunity to respond by email through Sept. 30 at [email protected].

More information about the search process, the official job description and periodic updates will be posted on the presidential search website.

Article originally posted in U-M Ann Arbor's Record Update.