The brochure outlines the benefits and challenges the president will take up with the position.
Courtesy of USF
By Molly Ryan
As the spring semester begins, the presidential search becomes more visceral with new standards set by community feedback.
Last month, University Communications & Marketing sent out an email that contained an updated 28-page brochure from the Presidential Search Committee showcasing USF’s prestige and the “opportunities and challenges” the next president could anticipate.
The brochure also contains a list of “Qualifications and Characteristics” that the USF community expects from the university’s eighth president — many of which came as feedback from last September’s presidential search survey spanning from “a keen understanding of and passion for USF and its mission” to “a person of integrity and high ethical standards.”
“At the start of the search process, we asked for your input on the qualities and characteristics we should look for in the next leader of our great university,” Mike Griffin, chair of the Presidential Search Committee and vice chair of the Board of Trustees, said in the email containing the brochure. “The response from Bulls Nation has been inspiring.”
When the survey first launched on Sept. 20, 2021, students, staff, faculty, business leaders, community partners and residents were all encouraged to partake in the eight-question survey to provide the search committee with material for both the brochure and the presidential job description at large.
While the initial deadline for the survey was Sept. 30, it was extended to Oct. 20 in order to receive a larger number of responses.
“Approximately 2,000 people replied to an online survey within a few weeks,” Griffin said. “I held nearly 40 listening sessions with a wide range of groups on our campuses and in our communities.”
According to Griffin, hundreds of students, faculty, staff, alumni and stakeholders took part in various conversations and town hall meetings held regarding the search.
“The brochure that your input helped us create is a tremendous showcase of USF that will make our university stand out from the rest,” Griffin said.
Based on community feedback, the brochure included a “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” section which displayed USF’s commitment to “creating a more just society” and expanding opportunities for a more diverse community.
Under the “Investing in Growth” section, the brochure also showcased the university’s investment in a “built environment to support our missions and priorities,” such as the new Osprey Suites.
Griffin also promoted an updated presidential search website in the email as an “important tool that we’ll use to recruit a strong, dynamic pool of candidates.”
Under the position profile on the website it reads, “The president will develop an ambitious vision for USF…The president will work toward increasing the university’s visibility and reputation within the region, nationally, and internationally to create new opportunities for building upon the university’s distinguished history, contributions, and impact on a global scale.”
The application process is detailed at the end of the brochure and, according to Florida Law, all applications will be made public.
The application process is detailed at the end of the brochure and, according to Florida Law, all applications will be made public.
Following the retirement of two-year President Steve Currall, the Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Rhea Law as USF’s interim president. Law expressed she will not be applying for the permanent position.
For more information on the presidential search, visit usf.edu/board-of-trustees/president-search/
