The UM System Presidential Search Committee has approved a document that spells out what type of candidate it is looking for in a system president. The committee also decided on its ‘sales pitch’ to potential candidates for the position at a meeting Wednesday morning.
Curators, faculty and student representatives examined the 12-page document line by line and made several amendments, focusing on how to convey the system’s commitment to diversity and inclusion on campus. They included the System’s Equal Opportunity policy in full and added a portion about inclusivity for international and out-of-state students.
This is part of a wider strategy to convey to potential candidates that the board is proud to be at the forefront of addressing issues about race and diversity on college campuses.
“We are proud of that. It makes us a leader,” Stephanie Shonekan, the chair of the department of black studies at MU, said. “We didn’t have a disaster. We had some challenges and we’re working through.”
The document also clarified how much the state legislature increased the school’s funding in the last year in an effort to demonstrate the System’s importance to the state.
“Last year we had more problems than a run-over dog and we still got a 4 percent increase,” Curator Donald Cupps said.
The UM System, which includes the University of Missouri-Columbia, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology at Rolla, is influential, according to Chair Pamela Henrickson. She said it really is a system that works together closely, not a loose confederation of universities.
“The University System is very meaningful and important. It’s an important economic driver to the state of Missouri,” Henrickson said. “The person who sits on top of that has a lot of ability to move Missouri forward, and that’s what we want to emphasize.”
The position document will be finalized by Friday, and a candidate pool should be developed by search firm Isaacson, Miller, Inc. by the curators’ next meeting in June, according to Kelly Stuck, the System assistant vice president of human resources.
Henrickson said the board still hopes to have a new University president by the beginning of next year.