An Update on Leadership Searches

January 30, 2013

Members of the Rutgers Community:

In this exciting period of transition, I am writing to let you know where things stand on our multiple national searches for key leadership positions at Rutgers. We have been appointing search committees and engaging independent firms to assist us in making thoughtful, expeditious appointments of outstanding individuals to fill these enormously critical positions.

Chancellor for Biomedical and Health Sciences: Christopher Molloy, Interim Provost for Biomedical and Health Sciences, is chairing this search, and the committee includes medical, dental, pharmacy, and nursing school deans from UMDNJ and Rutgers, as well as other senior administrators and faculty members from our institutions and the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The search firm has begun its work and will be placing the job description in the Chronicle of Higher Education on February 1. By legislation, this position must be filled by someone who holds an M.D. Ideally, the new chancellor will begin his or her work on July 1.

Senior Vice President for Finance: Chaired by Senior Vice President Bruce Fehn, the search committee includes representatives from the Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick campuses and from UMDNJ. We are looking for a candidate with experience in the finances associated with both academic and clinical operations. The search firm has identified a preliminary pool of candidates and will discuss the candidates and next steps with the search committee in early February. We intend to fill this position by, and hopefully well before, July 1.

Chancellor of Rutgers–Newark: This search is chaired by Rutgers–Camden Chancellor Wendell Pritchett, with Professor Norma Riccucci of the School of Public Affairs and Administration acting as vice chair. The committee, which held its first meeting January 18, includes deans, faculty, students, administrators, and former Board of Governors Chair M. William Howard, Jr. We have engaged a search firm and will soon be placing an ad for the position. I hope to have this position filled in time for the start of the fall semester.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs–New Brunswick: Executive Vice President Richard L. Edwards, in his role as interim chancellor of the New Brunswick Campus, has commenced the search for this position, which replaces the formerly universitywide vice president for student affairs. Gregory Jackson, Interim Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Academic Affairs-New Brunswick, is chairing the search committee.

The chancellors and financial vice president will report to me, and I will be involved in making the final selection among the final candidates for those positions. My thanks to the women and men who are serving on each of these search committees. To learn more about these positions or to nominate candidates, please visit http://www.rutgers.edu/about/executive-searches.

We have also launched searches for the dean of the School of Social Work and the director of the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. In addition, with Carol Herring’s recent announcement that she will be retiring as Rutgers University Foundation president at the end of June, we will be working with the Foundation’s Board of Overseers on a search for her successor.

As you may know, several other key academic and administrative leadership positions are currently being filled on an acting or interim basis. Decisions regarding these positions will be made at a future date.

Sincerely,

Bob Barchi