Here it is:
Dear
University of Miami Family and Friends:
Last fall the
Presidential Search Committee was charged with finding the successor to
President Shalala. This is a tall order, but we're confident we are on the
right track and would like to take this opportunity to give a short update.
We reached out
to the community to hear the views and suggestions. We are pleased to report
that we have hosted more than 50 separate outreach meetings. It has been
invigorating and heartening to witness the interest of so many and rewarding to
experience everyone's willingness to assist in the process. Not surprisingly,
different groups have their own distinctive areas of focus, and we learned much
about the enormous complexity of our institution. While such individual
concerns and desires were helpful to understand, a few overriding and recurrent
themes prevailed throughout this process:
the
very tangible pride and commitment that so many have in the U was
remarkable . . . and heartwarming;
the
uniqueness of our university, our location, and our community was an asset
people consistently felt we need to leverage;
UM
is atypical in our boldness, in our willingness to take risks for the
greater good of the university, as a 21st-century global university. We
are not your "usual" university, and our next president shouldn't be
"usual."
Personal
relationships matter. The interpersonal skills of our next president
should be an important component of our consideration set. Our goal has
been to identify and to recruit a leader not only capable of building on
the university's proud legacy, but also someone who is ready to roll up
his or her sleeves and jump in with new ideas and a distinct and energetic
vision.
As
anticipated, our search received an enthusiastic response from a very
distinguished and diverse pool of candidates. After very careful deliberation,
we have narrowed that pool to four finalists. We met with these four for
multiple and varied interviews; we not only met with them in formal settings in
Miami, we also visited them on their home turf, even dining in their homes. We
feel good about the process and are on track now to finalize a choice over the
next few weeks. We are confident that our next president will not be
comfortable resting on our laurels; he or she will be a change agent, dedicated
to increasing our university's stature and reputation for excellence.
One final
theme emerged from our various outreach meetings, which was the recognition
that the new president cannot accomplish this ambitious agenda for change
alone. Our next president's success - and therefore UM's success - is
absolutely dependent on our ability as a community to come together-to inform,
support, and work as a team. Managing the transition will be just as important
to our success as making the right choice for president.
We thank you
for the wisdom you shared and for your invaluable contributions to our process.
We look to you now to be equally generous and wise as we move into this next
stage of transition.
On behalf of
the entire Presidential Search Committee, we thank you for your support, for
your insights, and for your encouragement. We are tremendously proud to have
been asked to serve in this capacity and honored by your entrusting us with
this important task.
Sincerely,
Richard D. Fain
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Dear
University of Miami Family and Friends:
Last fall the
Presidential Search Committee was charged with finding the successor to
President Shalala. This is a tall order, but we're confident we are on the
right track and would like to take this opportunity to give a short update.
We reached out
to the community to hear the views and suggestions. We are pleased to report
that we have hosted more than 50 separate outreach meetings. It has been
invigorating and heartening to witness the interest of so many and rewarding to
experience everyone's willingness to assist in the process. Not surprisingly,
different groups have their own distinctive areas of focus, and we learned much
about the enormous complexity of our institution. While such individual
concerns and desires were helpful to understand, a few overriding and recurrent
themes prevailed throughout this process:
the
very tangible pride and commitment that so many have in the U was
remarkable . . . and heartwarming;
the
uniqueness of our university, our location, and our community was an asset
people consistently felt we need to leverage;
UM
is atypical in our boldness, in our willingness to take risks for the
greater good of the university, as a 21st-century global university. We
are not your "usual" university, and our next president shouldn't be
"usual."
Personal
relationships matter. The interpersonal skills of our next president
should be an important component of our consideration set. Our goal has
been to identify and to recruit a leader not only capable of building on
the university's proud legacy, but also someone who is ready to roll up
his or her sleeves and jump in with new ideas and a distinct and energetic
vision.
As
anticipated, our search received an enthusiastic response from a very
distinguished and diverse pool of candidates. After very careful deliberation,
we have narrowed that pool to four finalists. We met with these four for
multiple and varied interviews; we not only met with them in formal settings in
Miami, we also visited them on their home turf, even dining in their homes. We
feel good about the process and are on track now to finalize a choice over the
next few weeks. We are confident that our next president will not be
comfortable resting on our laurels; he or she will be a change agent, dedicated
to increasing our university's stature and reputation for excellence.
One final
theme emerged from our various outreach meetings, which was the recognition
that the new president cannot accomplish this ambitious agenda for change
alone. Our next president's success - and therefore UM's success - is
absolutely dependent on our ability as a community to come together-to inform,
support, and work as a team. Managing the transition will be just as important
to our success as making the right choice for president.
We thank you
for the wisdom you shared and for your invaluable contributions to our process.
We look to you now to be equally generous and wise as we move into this next
stage of transition.
On behalf of
the entire Presidential Search Committee, we thank you for your support, for
your insights, and for your encouragement. We are tremendously proud to have
been asked to serve in this capacity and honored by your entrusting us with
this important task.
Sincerely,
Richard D. Fain
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
