Cheyney trustees on search for new university president

THORNBURY » The search for Cheyney University’s permanent president has been officially launched this summer. “Now that the task force has provided its recommendations for shaping Cheyney into a different and stronger university,” said Council of Trustees Chairman Robert W. Bogle. “Chancellor Brogan and I feel it is the right time to begin looking for our next leader.” Board of Governors policy requires the chancellor and council of trustees chair to consult before initiating the search.

The process begins with the appointment of a presidential search committee that will include university trustees, faculty, staff, administration, students and alumni. Bogle will appoint the members of the search committee, with the approval of the full council.

“The search committee’s task will be vital to the future of Cheyney University — a university that will be very different from the one we have today,” Bogle said. “Changes are already underway to ensure that the Cheyney of tomorrow is both stable and dynamic, and we will find a long-term leader who has the strength and vision to guide us on this new path while respecting this university’s rich tradition.”

While the search process moves forward, the university will continue to be led by Interim President Aaron A. Walton.

“My job is to continue to move Cheyney University forward during the search for a new, permanent president,” Walton said. “With the many challenges facing the university, we are working harder than ever on behalf of our students and the institution so that the next president arrives at a sustainable university with a clear sense of mission and purpose — a university well on its way to renewed success.”

An initial task in the search process will be to select an executive search firm to assist in the effort, including identifying and recruiting potential candidates. The search committee will outline its expectations for the next president by developing a job description, which also will be used to advertise for candidates in regional and national publications starting no later than August 2017.

Once the search committee identifies a pool of candidates, members will review the applications and conduct an initial round of interviews by telephone or at an off-campus location to begin to narrow the field. Several candidates would then be invited to participate in a series of on-campus meetings with various groups.

After the on-campus visits, the search committee will recommend two candidates to the Council of Trustees for its approval. The names of those two individuals would then be forwarded to the Office of the Chancellor and Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education for final consideration. The board is responsible for hiring the presidents at each of the 14 State System universities.

The presidential search process usually takes about six months from the time the search committee is formed until the board makes the final selection.