What is the timeframe for the chancellor selection process?
UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. has formed a search committee to conduct a global search for a new chancellor to lead UCLA.
Selecting the next chancellor for UCLA is a critically important endeavor. The entire process will take several months and is anticipated to conclude by spring 2024. While time is a factor, ultimately the most important goal is to find the best individual to lead UCLA.
Who will select the next chancellor? Who makes the final decision?
On October 27, 2023 UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. announced the formation of a search advisory committee of university faculty, staff, students, alumni and foundation representatives and Regents to help in the international search for a new chancellor to lead UCLA.
Per Regents Policy 7102: Policy on Appointment of Chancellors, the search advisory committee has been charged with advising the President during the chancellor selection process, working through a several month endeavor of listening to input from the community, considering potential candidates, and sharing feedback and evaluations with the President. After the committee has completed committee interviews of prospective candidates, it will recommend semi-finalists for interviews with the President. He will make his finalist recommendation to the Regents for their consideration and approval.
How is the membership of the search advisory committee determined?
Consistent with Regents Policy 7102: Policy on Appointment of Chancellors, the President requests UC Board of Regents chancellor search appointments, and nominations and appointments from additional key stakeholder groups to form the search advisory committee.
Is there broad representation on the search advisory committee?
Yes. Per Regents Policy 7102: Policy on Appointment of Chancellors, the search advisory committee consists of:
- The President of the University, who will serve ex-officio;
- The Chair of the Board, who will serve ex-officio;
- Five Regents appointed by the Chair of the Board;
- Five faculty – one being either the Chair or Vice Chair of the systemwide Academic Senate; one faculty member from a campus other than the one that is the subject of the search, chosen from a panel submitted by the Academic Senate’s Universitywide Committee on Committees; and three campus faculty members chosen from a panel submitted by the campus Academic Senate Committee on Committees;
- One graduate and one undergraduate student appointed by the respective graduate and undergraduate student associations of the campus;
- One alumni representative appointed by the alumni association of the campus;
- One Foundation representative chosen by the President from a panel of names submitted by the Campus Foundation; and
- A staff employee representative of the campus chosen by the President from a panel of no less than three names submitted by the Campus Staff Assembly.
All members of the search advisory committee are invited to attend and fully participate in all committee search processes and meetings.
What is the role of the search advisory committee?
The search advisory committee will be involved in recruiting, screening, and conducting committee interviews with candidates for the position. The committee participate in Campus Day, Town Halls, and listening sessions to garner constituent feedback and broad understanding of the needs and requirements for this Chancellor. They consider criteria and outreach strategy, and work together with the President – building on the initial review of the nomination review subcommittee (see FAQ: What is the role of the nomination review subcommittee?) – to identify a pool of candidates for search advisory committee interviews. The committee conducts candidate interviews, then provide feedback to the President including a recommendation of semi-finalists who will progress in the search process.
What is the role of the nomination review subcommittee?
Search advisory committee members may volunteer to serve in the search process as members of the nomination review subcommittee. After the search firm conducts the initial screening of potential candidates, the nomination review subcommittee completes a secondary screening to ensure they meet the required position qualifications. The nomination review subcommittee recommends qualified candidates for the full search advisory committee’s consideration.
How will the UCLA community be informed about the progress of the selection process?
The chancellor search website serves as the official, central hub of news and information related to the search and includes an overview of the search process and timeline. The chancellor search process is confidential and progress updates will not be provided.
It is a common national practice to preserve the confidentiality of nominees and candidates during and after Chancellor or President searches for colleges and universities and produces the best outcome for the campus. For many prospective candidates, particularly sitting Chancellors and Presidents at other institutions, participating in a process that is not confidential would put their professional standing at risk. As a result, many such candidates will not participate in a process that does not preserve the confidentiality of their candidacy. By maintaining a confidential search process, UC ensures it can successfully engage the largest and most diverse set of candidates and maximizes its competitive position among other similar searches that may be occurring nationally.
Will there be opportunities for input from the UCLA community?
Yes. On November 7, 2023, the search advisory committee will convene for the first time. The committee’s first meeting is Campus Day, where the committee receives presentations from a wide range of campus constituencies, including campus leadership, faculty, students and staff. In addition to Campus Day, town hall sessions will be held virtually on November 8, 2023, to provide additional opportunities for input into the search advisory committee’s work. During these sessions, members of the search advisory committee receive input from students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The community and the public are also invited to share their input via an online survey or email through early January 2024, and nominations and referrals via email through January 2024. All input, nominations and referrals are confidential and will be shared for use only by the search advisory committee and the search firm.
How are prospective candidates identified?
The nomination review subcommittee will review nominations and applicants materials. The nomination review subcommittee forwards prospective candidates that meet all position profile identified required qualifications and are most aligned to the position profile to the full search advisory committee for review. These prospective candidates emerge in a number of ways:
Nominations.
If you are interested in nominating a potential candidate, please submit their name to apsearch@spaexec.com.
Advertisements.
An advertisement announcing the position will be posted online to various job boards that include but not limited to the Chronicle of Higher Education, Diverse Jobs, Hispanic Outlook, Women in Higher Education, Insight into Diversity, Hire Veterans and the search firm website (PDF).
Research strategy.
With assistance from the search advisory committee, the search firm utilizes a robust research strategy to identify qualified individuals. The research strategy includes: chancellors/presidents and provosts at Association of American Universities, top research institutions, flagship state universities, top ranked national and public universities, top ranked international universities, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander and Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities; deans and other leaders at top ranked national and public universities; civic leaders at the federal and state level; and chief executives of large foundations and non-profits.
Can I nominate a candidate?
Yes. The President and the search advisory committee strongly encourages all members of the UCLA community to nominate individuals, whether from the campus, the UC, or from across the globe. Nominations should be submitted via email to apsearch@spaexec.com. All nominations are confidential and will be reviewed and considered.
Who makes decisions about which candidates to move forward?
The search advisory committee and the President will work together to identify candidates for committee interviews. Following the interviews, the search advisory committee will provide feedback to the President about each candidate and recommend semi-finalists to progress in the search process. Once UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. has selected a final candidate to bring to the UC Board of Regents for approval, the President shall meet with the Regent members of the Committee to inform them of the candidate, prior to making the recommendation to the UC Board of Regents for consideration and approval.
The President is anticipated to make a final candidate recommendation to the UC Board of Regents in Spring 2024.
When will we know who the potential candidates are?
This is a confidential search and the names of candidates will only be known by the search advisory committee. Once UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. has selected a final candidate to bring to the UC Board of Regents for approval, the President shall meet with the Regent members of the Committee to inform them of the candidate, prior to making the recommendation to the UC Board of Regents for consideration and approval. After UC Board of Regents approval, the UC Office of the President will send a press release that will be shared on the UCLA Chancellor Search website.
It is a common national practice to preserve the confidentiality of nominees and candidates during and after Chancellor or President searches for colleges and universities and produces the best outcome for the campus. For many prospective candidates, particularly sitting Chancellors and Presidents at other institutions, participating in a process that is not confidential would put their professional standing at risk. As a result, many such candidates will not participate in a process that does not preserve the confidentiality of their candidacy. By maintaining a confidential search process, UC ensures it can successfully engage the largest and most diverse set of candidates and maximizes its competitive position among other similar searches that may be occurring nationally.
Has a search firm been selected?
Yes. The search will be assisted by the executive search firm SP&A Executive Search, a national firm with considerable experience in university chancellor and presidential searches. SP&A Executive Search has consulted with the UC on numerous executive searches over the past several years.
What is the role of the search firm?
The search firm serves as staff to the search advisory committee and plays no role in deciding what candidates should move forward in their search process. Their role is to help identify potential candidates; reach out to potential candidates to determine interest (with permission from the search advisory committee); to conduct research and due diligence on candidates; and to help facilitate the work of the search advisory committee, including posting advertisements, preparing materials, and assisting with meeting logistics.
SP&A Executive Search Information: SP&A Executive Search specializes in and exclusively dedicated to serving higher education and non-profit sectors. Over one-third of all the searches conducted by SP&A Executive Search has been for the positions of president and chancellor and an even larger proportion have been for the wide array of senior officers including provosts, vice presidents for all functional areas, academic deans, directors, and other senior administrators. The success of their efforts can be measured in the longevity of their placements: More than 96% of their placements remained in their appointed positions for a minimum of four years.
What if I have questions about the chancellor selection process?
For general questions please contact uclachancellorsearch@ucop.edu.
Recent Comments