Search Process
What role will the Board of Governors have in the decision-making process?
According to West Virginia State Code, WVU’s Board of Governors retains the ultimate authority and responsibility for selecting West Virginia University’s next President.
To ensure the search process incorporates a diverse range of perspectives, the BOG intentionally established a large Search Committee comprised of University constituents who represent the expansive West Virginia University Community.
The BOG also has voting members from the faculty, staff and students, which is not often the case for all three populations to be present as full voting members on boards of peer higher education institutions. They will have a great level of constituency input throughout the process and finalist round.
What’s the anticipated timeline for this search?
The current timeline is to announce a new WVU President in the Spring of 2025. For more information on the timeline, please visit the timeline tab.
How were the individuals on the Search Committee chosen?
Various stakeholders were tasked to present nominations of potential members of the Search Committee, which is comprised of University constituents who represent the expansive West Virginia University Community.
The Ad Hoc Governance Committee then reviewed those nominations and presented a final slate that the BOG approved this past June.
The search committee includes faculty, staff, students, academic deans, athletics, our divisional campuses, WVU Medicine, the WVU Foundation and the WVU Alumni Association.
Does the Search Committee select the President?
No, according to WV State Code, the BOG retains the ultimate authority and responsibility for selecting our next President.
However, working in tandem with the BOG, the Search Committee will act as a recommending body and will review applications, conduct preliminary interviews and ultimately recommend a final slate of candidates to the BOG.
Will the names of the final slate of candidates be made public?
As part of our desire to attract and recruit top, highly qualified candidates, WVU will not disclose the names and/or backgrounds of any candidate to those outside of the BOG, the Search Committee or those authorized by the BOG. As confirmed by ongoing discussions with our external search partner, WittKieffer, candidates of today’s market want and often expect confidentiality.
As we hope our community understands, publicly naming finalists can deter top candidates who prefer to keep their job search discreet to maintain their current leadership roles, especially those currently in high-level positions at other institutions.
Prospective CandidateS
What qualities or qualifications is the University looking for in a new President?
Based on feedback from our listening sessions and survey results, it's clear that we are united in a common goal: WVU’s next President must deeply understand our commitment to the land-grant mission and the vital role WVU plays in the state, bring a wealth of relevant experience, and demonstrate an unwavering dedication to lead in alignment with WVU’s values. You can view more information in our Presidential Leadership Profile.
What are WVU’s immediate priorities for this new President?
Our immediate priorities include positioning the University to be a responsive, relevant university system of the future that meets the needs of our students and invests in the initiatives that will positively change the trajectory of our state and its people.