MORGANTOWN — WVU’s faculty senators got an update Monday on the presidential search after returning to campus for their first meeting of the fall semester.
The focus was on the listening sessions that have been happening since July — and wrap up this week — and the online survey, both designed to build a profile of what the WVU community wants for its next president. Search consultant WittKieffer is overseeing the process.
Faculty Senate chair Diana Davis told the senators that faculty participated in the first listening session and it was productive. Sessions devoted to faculty input continued through the period, with one occurring the same time as the Faculty Senate meeting and others set for Morgantown and the regional campuses through the rest of the week.
Board of Governors vice chair and Search Committee chair Patrice Harris told the senators, “I don’t have to tell you we have a monumental task ahead of us.”
The online survey — at surveymonkey.com/r/wvupresidentintake — and the listening sessions are designed to get answers to three sets of questions:
- What do you see as key attractions for this leadership opportunity? What makes you proud to be a part of the WVU community and excited about the future?
- What are the skill sets, experiences, qualifications, credentials and personal attributes needed in the next president?
- What are the key opportunities and challenges facing West Virginia University? How should the new president seek to capitalize on or address them?
Harris cautioned — and got some chuckles for it — “Unless we’re able to build the next president of WVU in a lab, we won’t get everything we want. … The goal is to get us as close to what we consider the perfect candidate for WVU as we can.”
The survey and sessions, she said, will be made public and will be used this month to build a leadership profile to take into the market in October. In a sense, WVU is selling itself and buying candidates, and the profile is intended to draw the best candidates.
Screening and initial interviews will take place this fall and into winter 2025. Finalist interviews will take place next spring, with an announcement of the choice to follow. Current WVU President Gordon Gee will retire June 30, 2025.
Harris encouraged senators to submit their suggestions and nominations for candidates to wvupresident@wittkieffer.com.
Harris presented slides describing the survey results so far. There have been 1,130 responses, with alumni making up the largest group of respondents, at nearly 50% of the total. Faculty make up about 18% of the respondents and students about 15%. Classified and non-classified staff combined make up about 13%. Parents make up about 2%.
Among the desired characteristics for the next president are strong financial background, critical thinking and analytical skills, effective communication skills and stakeholder engagement, an understanding of the state and WVU’s role in the state and Appalachia, empathy, integrity, transparency, willingness to listen and political acumen.
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