After collecting feedback for months, Penn State is officially beginning its search for the university’s next president starting this July.

The search is on now that Penn State developed a formal “leadership profile” that aims to summarize what the university’s next leader should look like. The relatively bland profile includes unsurprising characteristics like strong leadership skills, experience in academia, and a commitment to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Penn State’s profile broke the profile down into three “critical capabilities” — a strategic acumen, a commitment to building organizational capacity, and a passion for leading people.

“We are seeking a collaborative leader with interdisciplinary perspective to continue to move the University’s teaching, research and public service mission forward,” Board of Trustees chair Matt Schuyler said. “The ideal candidate will be dedicated to supporting student success and faculty and staff achievement, while continuing to build on our commitment to access and affordability, elevating our research profile, and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion across our campus communities.”

A 19-member Presidential Recruitment and Selection Committee will lead the charge to find Eric Barron’s successor. The group mainly consists of current or former trustees. It features only three faculty members and one student.

The selection committee will ultimately recommend top finalist(s) to the Board of Trustees, which would perform a “thorough recruitment and vetting process.”

Penn State has also partnered with global executive search firm Spencer Stuart to help find its next leader.

Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members can nominate candidates by emailing the search committee. They should include the nominee’s name, contact information, and background and qualifications.

More information about the search for Penn State’s next president is available on the Board of Trustees’ website.

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