• October 17, 2017

Report on the Search Process

Report on the Search Process

Report on the Search Process 150 150 Presidential Search

TO: The PLU Community
FROM: Susan Caulkins and Michelle Ceynar, Co-Chairs of the PLU Presidential Search Committee

Campus Constituencies:

We are pleased to report that the Presidential Search Committee was formed by the Board of Regents of Pacific Lutheran University during its October 2017 meeting. The committee is being co-chaired by Regent Susan Caulkins (’82) and Faculty Chair Michelle Ceynar, and will have representatives from various constituencies including Faculty, Students, Staff, Community Leaders, The PLU Corporation, Alumni, Donors and Regents. The Presidential Search Committee is charged with conducting the search for PLU’s next president and bringing the best candidates to the Board of Regents for consideration. Ultimately, the Board of Regents will be deciding which candidate will be hired to lead PLU into its next stage. It is our intention to keep the campus community updated with the progress of the search as we proceed over the next 18 months.

The Committee’s first task will be the selection of the search consulting firm, which will be hired by the Board of Regents at its December meeting to facilitate the search process. The Request for Proposals (RFP) has been submitted to several leading independent college and university executive search firms. Once hired, the search consultant team will work in tandem with the search committee to guide the campus community through an intensive series of focus group conversations to craft the position profile for our University’s next president. Over the coming months you can expect to hear about opportunities to share your thoughts as we work to develop the profile. This process will require engagement from all areas on campus, and your input will be invaluable to our process. While the proposals come in over the next two weeks, the committee will have its initial meeting to complete organizational conversations after which we will announce the full membership of the committee.

The Committee will share with the campus community the detailed schedule of the search stages and events in future progress reports. Please feel free to direct comments and concerns to the Presidential Search Committee through the co-chairs:

Susan Caulkins, scaulkins@dpearson.com
Michelle Ceynar, ceynarml@plu.edu