Taylor University's Board of Trustees has recently announced their search for the next university president as well as their intentions to choose a candidate by this spring.
After President Emeritus Paul Lowell Haines resigned in June of 2019, Paige Comstock Cunningham was named interim president and is currently serving in her second and final year.
The interview process is being conducted by Board of Trustees Chair Chris Goeglein (‘84) and Vice Chair Manuel Rosado (‘96). The process became public on Sept. 30 through an opportunity profile and video.
“The search committee worked on the profile with input from faculty, staff, alumni, parents, friends and students through a survey and individual interviews,” Rosado said.
The committee is composed of seven board members, three faculty members, a representative from the Parents Council and an alumnus. Their goal is to have a candidate selected by spring and in place for the 2021-22 school year.
Rosado said that the committee has partnered with JobfitMatters, an executive job search firm, to help guide the search process. National searches, such as this one, typically take six to eight months.
In a press release put out by Taylor University regarding the presidential search, the guidelines and requirements for eligible candidates are laid out.
“It is critical that the next president be gifted in the areas of innovation and adaptation - a visionary who can build a team of people who will think creatively and strategically about the future,” Director of Media Relations Jim Garringer wrote in the university press release. “Above all, Taylor seeks a leader whose involvement in Christian higher education is more a calling than a career.”
Candidates are also expected to have experience leading a complex organization, be dedicated to academic excellence and promote diversity among the Taylor community.
Rosado explained that the committee will continue to review application submissions until they have made their selection. He encourages candidates and nominations to visit www.jobfitmatters.com/Taylor and to submit their applications by Nov. 15, 2020.
Rosado served on the interim search committee in 2019 and was chair of the Presidential Search Preparedness Subcommittee last spring. In May, the subcommittee made a recommendation to launch a national presidential search which was then approved by the board.
“With the Lord’s blessing, we should be able to make a recommendation to the Board and make an announcement in the spring,” Rosado said.
The press release addresses how the committee will put each qualified candidate into consideration. In addition, those who feel God stirring in their hearts are strongly encouraged to apply for this role.
Rosado said the community's involvement can make a great difference in the outcome of the search.
“We encourage the entire Taylor community to take an active role in the process by first praying for the person God has in store for Taylor and secondly by nominating and sharing the opportunity profile within their networks,” Rosado said.
