The University of California Board of Regents began initiatives to search for a new UC president for the upcoming 2013–2014 school year through the creation of a Special Committee to Consider the Selection of a President.
The eight-member committee is responsible for reviewing, scanning and conducting interviews for applicants. According to a Feb. 26 story in the Los Angeles Times, the committee includes regents Richard C. Blum, Russell Gould, George Kieffer, Bonnie Reiss, Frederick Ruiz, Bruce D. Varner, alumni regent Ronald Rubenstein and student regent Jonathan Stein. The committee is led by UC Board of Regents Chairman Sherry L. Lansing.
Along with the special committee, the academic advisory committee and alumni, student and staff advisory committees will give recommendations. The UC regents announced in a press release on March 1 that they have created a list of people who comprise advisory panels of faculty, staff, students and alumni. The appointees are responsible for making the guidelines and expectations for the future president within the week. The academic advisory committee will aid the special committee in specific criteria.
Along with the advisory committee, the UC regents also contacted Isaacson, Miller, a company that specializes in finding leaders and candidates for organizations. The firm consists of a five-phase search process that includes interviews, reference checking and analysis of whether the client and the organization would work well together.
“The recommendation for the next president will be announced in the [UC] Board of Regents’ July meeting,” UC Office of the President Media Specialist Brooke Converse said.
On Feb. 25, the special committee of UC regents held a private phone call between members stationed in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Riverside. They spoke about methods to organize and begin the search for a new UC president who would enter office in August.
Current UC President Mark G. Yudof announced Jan. 18 that he would step down from his position Aug. 31 to become a law professor at UC Berkeley. Yudof was appointed as the president of the UC system in 2008 and has served for five years.
Gov. Jerry Brown was not present during the regents meeting on Feb. 25; however, Brown is considered to be an ex officio member of the special committee and is expected to hold strong influence in future decisions regarding higher education.
