MORGANTOWN, W.Va. Presidential search listening sessions for West Virginia University begin this week across the state and run through Friday. Sessions for faculty, staff, and students are planned in Morgantown, Beckley, and Keyser, along with an online link for the public at large to answer the three questions in the survey developed with executive search firm WittKieffer.
The full schedule of sessions is here.
The questions posed during the sessions will be:
1. What do you see as the key attractions for this leadership opportunity? What makes you proud to be part of the WVU community and excited about the future?
2. What are the skill sets, experiences, qualifications, credentials, and personal attributes needed in the next president?
3. What are the key opportunities and challenges facing West Virginia University? How should the new president seek to capitalize on or address them?
WVU Board of Governors Co-Chair and Chair of the Search Committee Dr. Patrice Harris said the responses will be recorded and used to develop the announcement for the position that will go out nationwide later this fall. The responses to the questions will be reviewed by the search committee and the search firm.
“To develop what they call the leadership profile,” Harris said. “That is a profile that we will send out to the market that talks about the opportunity here at West Virginia University and shares what a wonderful opportunity it is.”
In addition to challenges, there are many opportunities for the university, which Harris would like respondents to consider while completing the survey. Harris noted the rarity of this opportunity and encourages people to take part.
“What they think are not only the challenges that the next president will face but also the opportunities to address those challenges and any other opportunities the next president of WVU will have,” Harris said.
The survey is online, and the sessions will be held on satellite campuses where the same three questions will be presented.
“We will be doing the same in Beckley and Keyser, so absolutely it’s important to hear from the West Virginia community at large as well as the West Virginia University community.”
Many won’t be able to attend one of the in-person sessions, so the questions are also available online. The site where the survey can be found also has updates from the committee, a timeline for the process, and detailed information about the search committee and members.
“That opportunity remains available and will be through next Friday, and that’s also the final day of the listening session,” Harris said.
Harris said the search will officially begin on the week of Oct. 7, 2024. By winter, it’s expected four to five candidates will be identified to begin the final interview process.
“Throughout the remainder of the fall and winter, the search committee, in partnership with search firm WittKiefer, will go to work reviewing the submissions,” Harris said.
President Gordon Gee is under contract through June of 2025.