AMHERST -- Nov. 27, 2007:The UMass Amherst chancellor search entered a new phase yesterday when officials said they were ready to begin building the candidate pool from which the new leader of the University's flagship campus will be selected.
"We have held an unprecedented number of constituency outreach meetings and are now taking the next step in this process," Chairman Jennifer C. Braceras said, as the UMass Amherst Chancellor Search Committee met for the third time.
"Our outreach meetings vividly illustrate that the UMass Amherst community is looking for a leader who can help bring the campus to the very top level of public universities in the nation. Our task is to identify candidates who have that ability, and I am confident that this search committee will meet that challenge," Braceras added.
The 25-member search committee held its third business meeting in the wake of convening a series of outreach meetings where members of various constituency groups were asked to share their vision for new leadership and to discuss issues pertaining to UMass Amherst and the chancellor search process. The outreach meetings included sessions for students, faculty, staff, labor, administrators, alumni, business leaders and community representatives. The meetings were held in Amherst, Springfield and Boston.
The search committee also devoted part of yesterday's meeting to finalizing a case statement that will be made available to candidates and prospective candidates.
The UMass Amherst Chancellor Search Committee plans to present UMass President Jack M. Wilson with three or more finalists for the chancellor position, with President Wilson then making a final recommendation to the University's Board of Trustees. Officials hope to name a new chancellor by late spring. Thomas W. Cole Jr. is serving as interim chancellor of the Amherst campus during the 2007-2008 academic year.
Contact: Robert P. Connolly
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