Presidential Search

Presidential Search

The University of California (UC), the nation's preeminent public research university, seeks an exceptional and visionary leader with a commitment to public higher education to be its 22nd president. The next President will have the extraordinary opportunity to lead UC through an exciting period of transition and growth as the University continues to increase its impact within California, the nation, and the world.

The University of California
The University of California opened its doors in 1869 with just 10 faculty members and 40 students. Today, the UC system includes more than 295,000 students and more than 246,000 faculty and staff, with 2.6 million alumni living and working around the world. UC is comprised of 10 campuses (UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC San Francisco, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz), six academic health centers (UC Davis Health, UCI Health, UCLA Health, UCR Health, UC San Diego Health, UCSF Health), and three affiliated national laboratories (Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos).

UC campuses are routinely ranked among the best in the world, but their reach extends beyond campus borders. UC's faculty are the drivers behind innovations in biotechnology, computer science, art and architecture — and they bring that knowledge, that greatness, directly to the classroom. Thousands of California jobs, billions of dollars in revenues, and countless everyday household items — from more plentiful fruits and vegetables to compact fluorescent light bulbs — can be traced back to UC discoveries. Similarly, many of the state's leading businesses are based on UC technology, founded by UC faculty or led by UC graduates.

From all backgrounds, ethnicities and incomes, UC attracts the best and brightest. UC undergraduate and graduate students come from across the nation and the world and comprise one of the most diverse student bodies in the country. Roughly 34 percent of UC students come from low-income families. For more information about the University of California, please visit https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/.

The UC Office of the President
The UC Office of the President (UCOP) is located in Oakland, Calif., and is the systemwide headquarters of the University of California. UCOP coordinates activities that allow a complex and unique system to operate efficiently as one university, furthering its public interest, academic and research missions, allowing campuses to capture the savings and efficiencies that come from centralized operations — overseeing the UC system's annual $51.4 billion operating budget, $30 million endowment, as well as $157 billion in investments for various funds including pension.

UCOP is the nexus between the 10 campuses, six health centers, Agriculture and Natural Resources research and extension network, three national laboratories, as well as the Board of Regents, the Academic Senate, the state and federal governments, and the public. Together with the university's leadership, UCOP leads and manages activities that support the UC tripartite mission of teaching, research and public service, and strengthens the essential premise that UC is one university.

Through its divisions and programs, the UC Office of the President supports all students, faculty and staff across the UC system. Services offered by UCOP are organized into 11 divisions, some of which also report directly to the Board of Regents. They are:

• Academic Affairs
• Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Ethics, Compliance and Audit Services
• External Relations and Communications
• Systemwide Office of Civil Rights
• UC Finance
• UC Health
• UC Investments
• UC Legal - Office of General Counsel
• UC National Laboratories
• UC Operations

For more information about UCOP, please visit https://www.ucop.edu/.

Governance
The president reports directly to the UC Board of Regents and works with the Academic Senate following the shared governance model.

Board of Regents
The University of California is governed by a 26-member Board of Regents, all of whom have a vote, that exercises approval over university policies, financial affairs, tuition and fees. The Board's membership consists of:

• 18 regents appointed by the governor of the state of California for 12-year terms.
• One student regent appointed by the Board of Regents to a one-year term.
• Seven ex-officio members — the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the Assembly, superintendent of public instruction, president and vice president of the alumni associations of UC and the UC president.
• In addition, two faculty members — the chair and vice chair of the Academic Council — sit on the Board as non-voting members.

For more information regarding UC's Board of Regents, please visit: https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/.

Systemwide Academic Senate
The systemwide Academic Senate represents university faculty and is empowered by UC's Board of Regents to exercise direct control over academic matters of central importance to the university — to determine academic policy; set conditions for admission and the granting of degrees; authorize and supervise courses and curricula; and to advise the administration on faculty appointments, promotions and budgets.

The systemwide Academic Senate and the 10 divisional senates provide the organizational framework that enables the faculty to exercise its right to participate in the university's governance. The faculty voice is formed through a deliberative process that includes the Standing Committees of the Senate, the Academic Council, the Assembly of the Academic Senate and their divisional counterparts. Consultation with the senior administration occurs in a parallel structure: at the systemwide level between the Academic Council chair and the president; and on the campus level between the divisional senate chairs and the chancellors.

For more information regarding UC's Academic Senate, please visit https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/.

Criteria for the Selection of the President of the University
The following selected criteria for the role of the president of the university have been established based upon broad consultation with advisory groups of faculty, students, staff, and alumni. While a candidate may not be able to demonstrate excellence in all of these areas, a successful applicant is likely to meet many of these standard attributes:

• Knowledge of the academic enterprise. Possesses understanding of and appreciation for the university; its distinctive culture of shared governance; its teaching, research and public service mission; and the context of the student body.
• A commitment to leading a university that serves the diverse population of California and protects free speech and academic freedom while fostering an inclusive and safe environment.
• An inspirational and visionary leader with passion and the ability to effectively communicate the value of the university to the state, inspiring stakeholders to be committed to sustaining and growing the university's excellence; a proven ability to deliver impactful presentations to diverse audiences, including the press, government officials, other key stakeholders, and the public at large.
• A forward-thinking leader who has the ability to articulate a clear vision and rally the university community under a shared mission, inspiring confidence and trust with both internal stakeholders and external partners, allowing facilitation in strategic planning within the changing state, nation, and global landscape.
• Deep understanding of the social, political, economic, business, and legal landscape within California, and the political acumen and experience to be an effective advocate and spokesperson for the university with the governor, state and federal leaders, and the public.
• A proven history of developing high-performing teams and cultivating environments with a shared sense of mission and culture that encourages entrepreneurism, inclusion, transparency, belonging, excellence, and collaboration.
• Ability to successfully advocate for public funding and secure the financial resources from both private and public sources that are necessary to support and enhance the university's impact and ensure that an accessible and affordable education is available to qualified California students.
• Experience leading large, complex institutions in either academia, industry, government, and/or the public, nonprofit sector.
• Experience working with large boards as a thought partner and innovator, while respecting the fiduciary responsibility of the Board of Regents for the institution and prioritizing the ethical responsibility of the University of California as a public institution.
• Ability to lead UC's efforts to address issues critical to its stakeholders by capitalizing upon its myriad strengths while appreciating and respecting the unique histories, challenges, and opportunities of each campus and UC location (e.g., engaging with academic, community, and legislative leaders in developing climate action solutions and addressing technological changes in higher education such as remote learning, adoption of digital systems and artificial intelligence tools, and systemwide cybersecurity).
• The capacity to assume a position of significant stature within the State of California, nationally, and globally as an effective thought leader in higher education and in addressing the grand challenges impacting society and humankind in changing and uncertain times.

A complete list of Board approved Criteria for the Selection of the President of the University can be found at https://presidentialsearch.universityofcalifornia.edu/. Although a terminal degree and exceptional academic administrative experience are preferred, the Board of Regents also welcomes and encourages candidates who have achieved noteworthy success in their respective fields outside higher education.

Application and Nomination Process
The Special Committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and will continue to accept applications and nominations until the position is filled. Applicants must submit a current curriculum vitae and a letter of interest describing relevant experience. Submission of materials via e-mail is strongly encouraged. Nomination letters should include the name, position, address and telephone number of the nominee. All nominations, inquiries and applications will be handled in confidence. Applications and letters of nomination should be submitted to:

Alberto Pimentel, Managing Partner
Will Gates, Founding Partner
Sal Venegas Jr., Partner

SP&A Executive Search
6512 Painter Avenue
Whittier, CA 90601
Email: apsearch@spaexec.com
Refer to code "UC-President" in subject line

The University of California is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California anti-discrimination policy see: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination

This position is a sensitive position and is subject to a criminal background check.

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