Pictured Above: The deadline to complete the survey has been extended to Oct. 20.
Annalise Anderson | The Crow’s Nest
By Annalise Anderson
On Sept. 20, USF launched an electronic survey seeking input from students, faculty, staff, alumni and other supporters of the university on what they would like to see in USF’s eighth president.
Survey questions ask participants to explain what short-term and long-term problems they think the next president will face, how USF’s assets can best attract viable candidates, what professional experience a candidate should possess, and what personal qualities will make the next president “a strong cultural ‘fit’ with the USF community.”
The deadline to complete the eight-question survey has been extended to Oct. 20.
The initial deadline was Sept. 30, but Interim President Rhea Law said that responses were “not as robust as we would have liked.”
Tampa Bay business leaders, community partners and residents are also encouraged to respond to the survey.
According to the university, the information collected will help the USF Presidential Search Committee create a job description for the position. Conversations between Committee Chair Mike Griffin and university stakeholders will also help to determine desired qualifications of the next president.
Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford appointed the 15-member search committee last month, stating that each member provides “a unique perspective” on the future of USF. The committee held its first meeting on Sept. 15.
With several business executives on the committee, faculty have expressed concern about a lack of representation in the search for USF’s next president.
Students have also spoken out about the lack of community input in the university’s previous presidential searches.
In a Board of Trustees meeting last month, Master of Public Health student Conner Habecker addressed the board, stating that President Steve Currall “definitely diverged away from the core values of what USF was meant to be.”
“My request is pretty simple: To ask for a greater process of election for the president. Maybe letting the students, faculty, staff and previous graduates have greater input on who the next president is going to be … I would be remiss if I didn’t at least request it, and then I had a president who I didn’t agree with again.”
President Steve Currall announced his sudden retirement from the presidency in July.
Currall served a two-year tenure – the shortest in USF history. Currall’s predecessor, Judy Genshaft, served for 19 years before retiring in 2019. The five presidents who preceded her each served for at least five years.
In August, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved Rhea Law as the university’s interim president. Law said she will not apply for the permanent president role.
