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Dear ²ÝÝ®¶ÌÊÓƵapp Campus Community:

With Chancellor Pembrook’s retirement announcement, we must begin the process of finding a new leader. As I shared in my previous message, in the coming weeks, we will engage with a firm and begin moving forward with a national search. With their assistance and yours, we will hold a series of town halls to gather feedback from the ²ÝÝ®¶ÌÊÓƵapp community on what qualities the next chancellor should possess.

In addition, we must convene a search committee that is representative of the university and its many stakeholders.  In order for the committee to begin organizing, I am pleased to share with you that Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Jessica Harris, has agreed to serve as the chair.

I have also asked System Vice President for Academic Innovation, Planning and Partnerships, Dr. Gireesh Gupchup, to serve as an Ex-Officio member of the committee. As many of you may remember, Dr. Gupchup was the chair of the search committee that recommended Chancellor Pembrook.

According to University Guidelines, the ²ÝÝ®¶ÌÊÓƵapp Search Advisory Committee will be composed of:

1. An administrative liaison from the Office of the President who is non-voting;
2. Four (4) faculty to be selected from a list of at least eight (8) nominees provided by the Faculty Senate, at least three (3) of those selected shall have rank of Associate Professor or higher and (1) clinical track faculty member
3. Two (2) faculty to be selected from a slate of at least five (5) nominees provided by the Graduate Council (at least 1 clinical track faculty member if not selected from Faculty Senate nominees);
4. One (1) Faculty Association member selected from a slate of at least three (3) nominations and after consultation with appropriate representatives;
5. One (1) Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association member selected from a slate of at least three (3) nominations and after consultation with appropriate representatives;
6. One (1) member of the University Planning and Budget Council selected from a slate of at least three (3) nominations and after consultation with appropriate representatives;
7. One (1) member of the Black Faculty Staff Association selected from a slate of at least three (3) nominations and after consultation with appropriate representatives;
8. One (1) member of the Diversity Council selected from a slate of at least three (3) nominations and after consultation with appropriate representatives;
9. One (1) administrative/professional staff member and one (1) civil service staff member selected from a slate of at least three (3) nominations from each group and after consultation with appropriate representatives;
10. One (1) undergraduate student, one (1) professional degree student, and one (1) graduate student selected from a slate of at least three (3) nominations from each group and after consultation with recognized institutional student government organization(s);
11. One (1) academic dean;
12. One (1) alumni and one (1) foundation representative who has demonstrated deep commitment to the institution;
13. One (1) representative of the institution’s external constituency with a demonstrated deep interest in and support of the institution, its programs, and its role in community activities.

Individuals on the committee may be joined by additional members identified by the President.  Once formed, the search committee will review applications, conduct initial interviews and assist in bringing candidates to campus during the fall semester so all who wish can be involved and meet the prospective candidates.

The official call for nominations for search committee members will be sent to campus constituency heads in the coming days. I am requesting a quick turnaround for nominations, as the sooner a committee is formed, the sooner our process can begin. With everyone’s cooperation, we hope to complete the search process by the end of the fall 2021 semester.

I look forward to working with both the search committee and everyone at ²ÝÝ®¶ÌÊÓƵapp as we find the best candidate to not only lead the campus, but serve as a strong partner in the SIU System. As I have observed first-hand during my semester here, there are great times ahead for this university and you have my commitment to find the dedicated leader who will take the baton and lead us into the decade.

Sincerely,

Dan Mahony
SIU System President