December update on CU Presidential Search

Dear Members of the University of Colorado Community,

As the semester draws to a close, we want to update you on progress in the search for CU’s next president.

The Presidential Search Committee received its charge in November from the Board of Regents at our last regular meeting in Colorado Springs.

Last week, the committee had its first meeting since receiving the charge. Because Wheless Partners, the search firm helping us recruit candidates, is still developing the candidate pool, the search committee used this meeting to ensure we’re on the same page and have a shared understanding of the processes to evaluate candidates. We’re fortunate to have a search committee of talented people from across the university and the state, with representation from students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and the business community. Everyone on the search committee shares the goal of finding a president who can build upon President Bruce Benson’s successes and help CU meet the challenges ahead.

In our meeting, we reinforced that the search committee must maintain the confidentiality of candidates throughout the search process. Under both CU policies and Colorado law, any candidate’s identity remains confidential until the Board of Regents declares finalists. We would not be able to generate a strong candidate pool without being able to honor confidentiality.

With our initial meetings now completed, we’re entering a quiet phase, both because of the holidays and because this is the time when Wheless Partners is working to recruit candidates. We also welcome your ongoing input into what we should look for in our next president and what issues face the university and state that he or she needs to be concerned with.

You can provide your input here. We encourage you to nominate presidential candidates at CUCEO@Whelesspartners.com. Wheless Partners is committed to generating a strong and diverse pool of candidates by the time the search committee meets to consider them in February. The search committee will continue its work in the coming months with the goal of providing a short list of candidates to the Board of Regents by mid-to-late spring.

We’ll continue to update you as the search progresses. We know this is an important decision for CU, and we’re working hard to find a president to lead us for years to come.

Thank you for all you do for CU.

Sincerely,

Regent Heidi Ganahl, Regent Irene Griego
Co-chairs, Presidential Search Committee