Charge to the Presidential Search Committee

Established in 1961, ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ Atlantic University opened its doors officially to students in 1964 as the fifth public university in ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ. Today, the university serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students and employs more than 3400 personnel.  Over the past decade, ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ Atlantic has capitalized on its transformational academic programs, innovative research activities, athletic success, and unique geography to position itself as a nationwide competitor in the new knowledge economy.  No institution from ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ has risen as quickly in the national public-school rankings more than ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ Atlantic over the past two years.

In May 2024, ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ Atlantic graduated a record number of students — 3,600 graduates, including 1,051 first-generation students and 120 that graduated with a 4.0 GPA.  The university also received a record number of student applications. The nearly 47,000 first-year applications received for Fall 2024 represent a 27 percent increase from the previous year’s applicant pool. The pool’s average GPA is 3.95 and the average ACT score is 24 – up from a 3.86 GPA and ACT score of 23 just two years ago.  The university’s rapid improvement in retention and four-year graduation rates was recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE) when, in March, ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ Atlantic received the ACE/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation.  This award highlights the outstanding work ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ Atlantic has done in establishing this university as a powerhouse for transformational student impact.

To build on that trajectory, the next President of ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ Atlantic University must have the vision, temperament, and experience to seize the opportunities and overcome the challenges that ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ Atlantic will encounter as it strives to lead and educate the next generation of thinkers and innovators.

The ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ Atlantic University Presidential Search Committee is charged with conducting a nationwide search and advising the Board of Trustees on its selection of the next University President.  The Search Committee, with the assistance of an executive search firm, will be responsible for conducting the following activities consistent with the requirements of Board of Governors Regulation 1.002:

  • Overseeing a webpage on the University’s website that is dedicated to the search and includes information on the means for stakeholders to provide input;
  • Establishing a calendar of public events for the process that takes into account the need to align the timing of the selection process with the estimated timeline specified by the Board of Trustees, to the extent feasible, and meeting dates of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors for purposes of the confirmation process;
  • Developing recommended position criteria that are consistent with ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ Atlantic’s mission, strategic plan and aspirational goals, which shall be approved by the Board of Trustees;
  • Establish a range of compensation for the new President, based on an executive compensation analysis, that will be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval;
  • Approving a marketing plan for the search that will be submitted to the Board of Trustees;
  • Identifying potential applicants and vetting applicants;
  • Determining, under the position criteria, the applicants to be interviewed by the Search Committee;
  • Conducting first applicant interviews based on the format and parameters set forth by the Search Committee;
  • Recommending an unranked list of final applicants who are qualified under the position criteria to further the institution’s mission, goals, and priorities for on-campus meetings or forums with the faculty, students, and other stakeholders and for consideration and on-campus interviews by the Board of Trustees;
  • Informing all members of the Committee if any applicant withdraws from consideration prior to the Board of Trustees’ consideration of the finalists; and
  • Notifying the Search Committee chair and the Chancellor if, at any time during the Search Committee process, a member identifies concerns or issues related to the process or the Search Committee’s compliance with law or Board of Governors Regulations.

The timeline for the search committee process should begin during Summer 2024 with organizational and working group meetings that include consultations with the search firm, development of the webpage and the marketing plan for the search, establishment of a calendar of public events to begin after faculty and students return to campus in the Fall, and development of a range of compensation to be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval. By January 2025, the Search Committee should look to submit its recommended unranked list of qualified applicants to the Board of Trustees, consistent with the requirements of Board of Governors Regulation 1.002(1)(c)9. 

This search will be conducted through a process that is transparent, effective, and consistent with state law and with the priorities of the Board of Governors and ÎÞÂëÊÓƵ Atlantic University.  The Search Committee’s role is extremely important to the future of this institution, and the Board of Trustees sincerely thanks each member of the committee for their willingness to engage in this process with integrity, professionalism, and the same level of excellence we expect from our future President.