West Virginia University Board of Governors Vice-Chair and Presidential Search Committee Chair Dr. Patrice Harris sent the following letter to members of the University community Tuesday (Sept. 24) about the ongoing presidential search process.
Sept. 24, 2024
Dear West Virginia University Community,
As we welcome the fall season and the beautiful colors that it brings, the West Virginia University Board of Governors continues to move forward in the search for our next president.
To ensure we were engaging with and hearing from all of our constituents, we held 34 listening sessions in conjunction with our search partner, WittKieffer. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and other stakeholders were invited to participate in these in-person sessions, which were held across the state on WVU’s campuses in Morgantown, Beckley and Keyser as well as in Charleston. We also dedicated one in-person session in each city to engaging with community members, city officials and alumni. Several virtual sessions also were held for those unable to attend in person.
Constituents were invited to share their feedback during the 75-minute discussions guided by three questions. These questions focused the conversations on what makes WVU unique, the skillsets a new president will need to be successful and key opportunities for our university in the future.
We also gathered feedback from alumni nationwide through six virtual sessions hosted by the WVU Alumni Association. We spent time with the WVU Alumni Association Board of Directors and the WVU Foundation Board of Directors to gain their insights as well.
On Monday, Sept. 9, I was invited to provide an update to the Faculty Senate on the presidential search during its monthly meeting. My presentation covered the search process and timeline, as well as the early survey results; most importantly, I had an opportunity to answer questions from members of the Faculty Senate. I am very appreciative of the opportunity for that dialogue.
An online survey provided an additional opportunity to participate in the search process and share perspectives. Launched Wednesday, July 24, the survey remained open seven weeks and closed Friday, Sept. 13. In all, 1,181 members of our WVU community responded.
While we’re continuing to review and digest the feedback, early survey results have identified a few key themes. Our next president must understand our deep commitment to the land-grant mission, understand the vital role WVU has in the state, and be committed to lead in alignment with WVU’s values.
I want to take a moment and thank everyone who took the time to participate in the listening sessions — both in-person and virtual, as well as those who completed the online survey. I also want to thank the members of the Presidential Search Committee and Board of Governors who spent time at the sessions listening to the comments and feedback our constituents provided. As I reflect on the process thus far, one point is abundantly clear: we all have a shared commitment to attract the top candidates to this position and ultimately identify the best candidate to lead WVU forward.
The next steps in the search process are to incorporate the feedback from the listening sessions and online survey into the leadership profile. Once completed and approved, the profile will be available to the public at the Presidential Search website, presidentialsearch.wvu.edu. Once the profile is public, the team at WittKieffer will begin recruitment of candidates.
As we continue to move through the process, please follow WVUToday, MOUNTAINEER E-News, Unews and the Alumni Newsletter for updates. In addition, be sure to periodically visit the Presidential Search website, presidentialsearch.wvu.edu, where you can find the timeline, updates and additional information. And, if at any time you have concerns or questions, or wish to offer a confidential candidate nomination, please email our search consultants at WVUPresident@wittkieffer.com.
Sincerely,
Dr. Patrice Harris
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Vice-Chair, WVU Board of Governors
-WVU-
ph/9/24/24
MEDIA CONTACT: April Kaull
Executive Director of Communications
WVU Strategic Communications and Marketing
304-293-3990; April.Kaull@mail.wvu.edu
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