Dear Members of the University of Colorado Community –
Dear Members of the University of Colorado Community,
As Mark Kennedy begins his campus and system administration visits this week as finalist for the CU presidency, I know some of you have questions and concerns about the search process, the diversity of the committee and the naming of a single finalist. As secretary to the Board of Regents who assisted in the search, I want to provide some perspective. I also encourage you to attend open forums this week with Mr. Kennedy, where he will take questions. Please attend and provide feedback to the regents here.
The search process began several years ago at Board of Regents retreats, when regents began discussing President Bruce Benson’s eventual retirement. The regents worked with him and the campus chancellors to prepare. The board also brought in experts to discuss the roles and relationships in university systems and higher education leadership.
After President Benson announced his retirement last summer, the regents began a national search. They issued an RFP for search firms and interviewed several before selecting Wheless Partners.
Regent Policy 3-E articulates the composition of the search committee, articulating the number of faculty, alumni, students and staff, among others. The board received more than 180 nominations. The committee that was appointed reached across all four campuses and included faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni and community members. You can see their biographies here.
Members of the search committee brought many perspectives and represented the university community well. Of its 17 members, seven were from diverse backgrounds. The committee was staffed and advised by system Vice President for Administration Kathy Nesbitt, whose portfolio includes diversity issues and whose experience includes serving as chief human resources officer for the state of Colorado under former Governor Hickenlooper.
The regents then charged the search committee to identify candidates who could lead our complex organization. The committee’s charge called for it to identify at least five candidates for the Board of Regents’ consideration.
The search committee co-chaired by Regents Heidi Ganahl and Irene Griego began meeting last fall. Its first meeting included training on how to conduct an inclusive search and avoid unconscious bias.
The search firm accepted nominations of candidates from the university community and reached out across the country to invite applicants. From more than 100 candidates, the search firm presented 27 to the search committee for its consideration. The search committee considered not only their qualifications but their responses to a questionnaire that surveyed the candidate’s leadership abilities, experience in leading complex organizations, and commitment to diversity and inclusion. Candidates included leaders from higher education, public service and the private sector.
From there, the search committee narrowed the list and identified 10 for interviews. After those, it unanimously advanced six candidates for the regents’ consideration. The search committee worked extraordinarily hard over a period of several months to complete their duties and approached their deliberations with care and diligence.
Over two days earlier this month, the regents rigorously interviewed each of the six. The board then met in public session and voted unanimously to name Mark Kennedy finalist.
Under Colorado law, the candidacies of those who apply for the presidency remain confidential until the Board of Regents names a finalist, which begins a period where the candidate is publicly available and the university community can provide feedback to the regents. The regents welcome your feedback, ask that you attend the forums with your questions and an open mind, and that you provide your feedback here. The regents will receive every comment and greatly value your opinions.
Mr. Kennedy’s candidacy must remain open for at least two weeks after the Board of Regents names him as a finalist. The regents must hold a public meeting to vote upon his candidacy and determine whether to appoint him president.
Some have expressed concern that the regents named a sole finalist. This is not unusual in executive-level searches at universities, as we saw in the recently concluded Colorado State University search and others around the country. Kennedy’s candidacy marks the fourth consecutive CU presidential search to present a sole finalist.
There has also been concern over media reports suggesting the process was rushed. After Mr. Kennedy’s name leaked to a North Dakota newspaper, the regents moved their vote to consider naming him as a finalist up two days from Friday to Wednesday. The due diligence was always intended to continue after the vote to name him a finalist, and it has.
I hope this provides some insight into the process. The board understands that appointing a president is one of its most important duties, and it is confident that the search was thoughtful and thorough.
Thank you for participating in this phase of the search and for your commitment to the University of Colorado.
Patrick T. O’Rourke
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Regents