CSU Search Committee Sets Out to Recruit Chancellor Candidates

Last Friday, an impressive cadre of the 15-member Colorado State University System chancellor search committee convened for the first time to receive its charge from CSU System Board of Governors chair, Douglas L. Jones. The meeting marked the first of only two other meetings slated for the search committee, which has been charged with identifying and recommending candidates for the CSU System chancellor position.

At the start of the meeting, Jones told the committee that "CSU is an extraordinary university and we need the right person making the decisions to lead the university system for the next generation."

The search committee, which will act as a search firm, received a packet of materials to assist them in identifying potential candidates for the chancellor position, which will be the chief executive officer of a three-campus system that has a total operating budget of nearly $1 billion.

Jones said, "The CSU Fort Collins campus is teeming with 25,000 students, it employs 6,000 faculty and staff, its faculty bring in nearly $300 million in research grants and it has $2 billion in real estate value. The day-to-day responsibilities are demanding, and the campus president can’t afford the time needed to be in Denver. The board wants someone in the Denver community, waving the flag, being a resource to Denver communities, becoming the chief marketing officer and resources gatherer for the campuses."

During its meeting, the search committee reviewed a report of CSU stakeholder input about desired attributes of a chancellor for the CSU System. Earlier this year the CSU board held a series of open forums to hear from students, faculty, staff, donors, alumni and the business and civic communities about qualities and characteristics of a chancellor for the CSU System. The board requested this be done before it developed the job description and launched the search.

The university plans to place ads in local as well as national publications ranging from academia to business.  In addition, Jones is sending personal letters about the search to leaders of universities and colleges in the western region states, including Colorado. Jones hopes to engage these leaders to assist the search committee by nominating qualified candidates.

The CSU board decided not to retain a search firm because it felt the committee had the expertise and CEO insight to accomplish the same outcome without spending $100,000.  

Jones told the committee the board has an ambitious time frame to hire the next chancellor by July 1, which is the start of the university’s fiscal year.

The search committee decided to accept applications until the position was filled, however it will set a preferred date to receive applications.  

The next search committee meeting is Wed., Apr. 8.

For more information and updates on the CSU System chancellor search, please visit

www.csusystem.edu/chancellorsearch.

The Colorado State University System Board of Governors voting members are appointed by the Governor, and confirmed by the State Senate, to serve up to two consecutive four-year terms. The board consists of nine voting members representing diverse backgrounds reflective of Colorado. These nine members each dedicate and volunteer their time to ensure effective management, accountability and responsible leadership of all the CSU System campuses – Fort Collins, Pueblo and the new online Global Campus.

Colorado State University’s three campuses attract about 30,000 new and returning scholars annually. Highly skilled graduates number more than 7,300 a year, and more than 198,000 alumni live throughout the state, nation and world.