Search is on at UW
Posted Jul 23, 2010 03:29:34 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A search committee tasked with finding a replacement for outgoing University of Waterloo president David Johnston already has some names to consider. While those names are being kept under wraps, the chair of UW’s board of governors confirms some candidates have been identified.
“This is a process that began a number of months ago,” says Bob Harding. “It’s a fairly involved process which includes a lot of consultation with the university community and beyond.”
The search committee was struck several months ago in preparation for Johnston’s planned retirement in May of 2011 but the deadline to find his replacement drew nearer when it was announced that Johnston would become Canada’s next Governor-General on October 1st.
“David’s done an outstanding job, he’s a great Canadian,” Harding says. “He’s done an amazing job leading the university so, yes, we have our challenge ahead of us. But it’s one I’m sure we’ll succeed in.”
Besides consulting with the university community, Harding says the committee also reaches out to individuals and organizations for their views on the skills and qualifications that would be necessary to run the university as well as to help identify any challenges the university may face in the process. Following that, a series of documents, including a job description and an ad, would be developed. A search consultant would be brought on-board to develop a long list of potential candidates for the search committee to pare down for interviews.
Harding says it’s important that Johnston’s successor understand the academic environment and how academics work. “It’s a very collegial environment that would be different from business,” Harding explains. “But that’s not to say that individuals from business or former government officials wouldn’t be considered.”
Beyond that, there is no specific criteria developed for the role, although it’s widely believed Johnston is casting a long shadow at UW. “There have been a number of candidates (already) identified,” Harding admits. “We have a fairly lengthy list at this juncture that our search firm is putting together.”
The university is in the midst of a fundraising campaign that has already raised more than $500-million.
