MTU President Glenn Mroz announced last spring his plans to end his presidency and return to university faculty. Since then, a Presidential Search Committee has been hard at work in assisting the Board of Trustees with the search for a new president and recommending candidates to the Board of Trustees. The Presidential Search Committee consists of 14 members: four trustees, four faculty members, two students, two staff members, Michigan Tech alumni and an academic leadership team member.
“The Presidential Search Committee is an essential representation of the great work that happens at Michigan Tech every day,” said Bill Johnson, Chair of the Presidential Search Committee, and Brenda Ryan, Vice Chair, in a memo regarding the search for a new university president, “we are committed to a transparent, inclusive and collaborative process.”
Consultants from Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, a retained executive search firm specializing in higher education executive recruitment, are assisting the search committee in their work. Consultants from the firm conducted Town Hall meetings on campus in September, as well as meetings in the Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor areas with Michigan Tech alumni and friends of the university in order to learn more about the community’s thoughts on the future of Michigan Tech and expectations for a new university president.
Oct. 19 saw the first open update meeting regarding the presidential search, and a Presidential Search Committee meeting was held the same day. On Oct. 20, the Board of Trustees met with a handful of students to receive input on what they’re looking for in a new university president.
“The PSC believes a key element in the search process is to gather input from the entire University community,” said Bill Johnson and Brenda Ryan in a different memo regarding the progress of the search for a new president, “It is the responsibility of both the Board of Trustees and the PSC to follow best practices for executive search processes in the competitive higher education market.”
While the Presidential Search Committee continues to build its group of applicants through a national recruitment effort, members of the Michigan Tech community can submit nominations directly or confidentially at MichiganTech2017@storbecksearch.com or through the presidential search website www.mtu.edu/president-search. The next presidential search update meeting will be held Dec. 14 at 11 a.m. in the MUB Ballroom A2.
