The search for the next Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) chancellor has begun, with a Board of Governors (BoG)’s search committee intent to find a permanent replacement to former Chancellor Frank Brogan by the end of next summer.
The committee, spearheaded by BoG Chairwoman Cynthia Shapira and Vice Chair Harold Shields, has partnered with Wheless Partners, one of the nation’s leading executive search consultant firms, according to a PASSHE press release.
Wheless Partners has previously assisted in the selection of chancellors and university presidents for public and private universities nationwide.
“We were impressed with Wheless’ track record for going beyond traditional methods of recruiting to develop a broad pool of candidates,” Shapira said in the press release.
Shapira said the next chancellor will take over as PASSHE enters a “renaissance” and begins to navigate through a redesign that will be occurring in light of last year’s strategic review.
At the end of the review, PASSHE adopted three priorities to guide the redesign: ensuring student success, leveraging the strengths of each university and transforming the governance and leadership structure.
“It took real forethought and courage to do the system review, and it will take equal amounts of innovation and determination from our next chancellor to accomplish the system redesign process,” Shapira said.
“We look forward to getting good candidates and having a chancellor who works for the best interest of all constituents of the universities — primarily the students,” said Kenneth Mash, president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF).
Brogan retired at the beginning of September after serving as chancellor for nearly four years.
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