ULM Begins Presidential Search and Initiates Institutional Review

MONROE – The University of Louisiana at Monroe Presidential Search Committee held its inaugural meeting this morning to accept its charge, review a position advertisement and approve a tentative timeline that calls for the selection of a new president as early as October.  Among topics of discussion was the need to simultaneously conduct an institutional review.

“An institutional review is a powerful tool as it affords outside, independent analysis and provides a roadmap for an incoming president.  We have engaged this practice at several of our institutions during times of leadership transition,” said University of Louisiana System Board Chair Winfred Sibille.

The purpose of an institutional review is to identify opportunities and challenges that will aid in the transition to a new leader for ULM.  A three-person team will review and prioritize issues for the next president to consider.  The UL System engaged the services of the following three consultants for the review:

  • Aubrey Lucas, president emeritus of the University of Southern Mississippi ,
  • Gary Reichard, former provost and vice president of academic affairs for the California State University System, and
  • Portia Shields, former president of Albany State University.

Reichard will lead the team that has a combined 45 years of senior administrative higher education experience.  They will be on the ULM campus September 15-17 to conduct extensive interviews.  Prior to their visit, they will review campus materials and conduct selected phone interviews.

The goal is to have a completed institutional review report prior to presidential search semi-finalist candidate interviews tentatively scheduled for mid-October.

PUBLIC FORUM

Later today, the search committee will hold a public forum to gather input from the campus community on desired qualifications for a new president.  Videos of the public forum comments will be uploaded to a special YouTube site, www.youtube.com/ULMSearch.  Those who cannot make the campus meeting are encouraged to submit comments to the committee via ULMPresidentialSearch@uls.state.la.us.

The 13-member search committee includes UL System Board Members Andre Coudrain of Hammond, Mildred Gallot of Grambling, Edward Crawford of Shreveport, E. Gerald Hebert of Kenner, Jimmy Long, Sr. of Natchitoches, Renee Lapeyrolerie of New Orleans, D. Wayne Parker of Choudrant, Carl Shetler of Lake Charles, Winfred Sibille of Sunset, Student Board Member and ULM Student Government Association President Brook Sebren and faculty representative Anna Hill.  Community representative Tex Kilpatrick serves as a non-voting representative along with Chair Moffett.

For the latest information about the ULM Presidential Search, visit www.ulsystem.edu/ULMSearch.

Founded in 1931, ULM is a selective admissions university classified as a Carnegie Master’s L (large) and SREB Four-Year 3 institution.  The university offers several undergraduate and graduate degrees to over 9,000 traditional, non-traditional and distance-learning students.  The 238-acre campus located in northeastern Louisiana is home to the only state-supported College of Pharmacy.

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