Dear members of the Temple community, 

I am excited to share an update about the search for the next president of Temple University.

Choosing the leader of this great institution is the single most important obligation of the Board of Trustees, and one that we undertake with the utmost care and humility. We know that selecting the 14th president of Temple University is also an opportunity to look ahead and start charting our path to the future. We can’t do this alone—this endeavor requires the support of the entire Temple community.

With that in mind, I’d like to share our framework for this process, which includes some changes to the way we have conducted searches in the past. We will keep the community updated on the search with further messages and at president.temple.edu/search.

I. Intensive, Professional Engagement and Listening
In previous presidential searches, we’ve asked members of the university community to fill out a survey or attend a group session with the goal of gathering important input on the demands of the position, challenges facing the university, and the type of skills or traits viewed as necessary for eligible candidates.

In our search for Temple’s 14th president, we’re going a step further to engage more broadly and intensively with community members and solicit a wide array of perspectives. We have retained research and strategy firm The Collective Genius to apply their expertise in facilitating important stakeholder conversations. Not only will feedback be clearly heard and received, it also will be reflected back to the community in the form of a public report from TCG. This report will impact the priorities we set and the position description we use to recruit the next president.

Listening sessions will begin by mid-September and both in-person and virtual opportunities will be offered. Please be on the lookout for invitations to participate. Additionally, please complete this survey to make sure your voice is heard in this process, and tell your Temple-affiliated friends to do the same!

II. Executive Search Support
Over the summer, a small group of trustees oversaw a competitive process to choose a leadership firm to assist with the presidential search. Following a rigorous set of interviews, we selected Spencer Stuart for this effort. The firm’s deep knowledge of higher education, reputation for intensive candidate vetting and evaluation, and can-do attitude are exactly what we need to find our next great leader. Recent successful placements for Penn State, Loyola-Chicago, and the University of Pennsylvania demonstrate the breadth of their range and skill. I know they will move heaven and earth to not only find the right candidate, but also support the transition for our new leader.

III. Search Advisory Committee
The Presidential Search Advisory Committee is a representative body of trustees, deans, faculty, administrators, and students that will do the intensive work of evaluating candidates, and ultimately give its best advice to the Board in order to facilitate a final decision.

It is vital that the Search Advisory Committee encompasses a shared commitment to Temple’s vision across a diverse range of views and backgrounds, and that members have an institutional knowledge of where this university has been and where it looks to go. Committee members include:

• Quaiser Abdullah, assistant professor of instruction, Lew Klein College of Media and Communication 
• Shohreh Amini, president, Faculty Senate, and professor, College of Science and Technology
• Joe Coradino, trustee
• Richard Deeg, dean, College of Liberal Arts
• Amy Goldberg, dean, Lewis Katz School of Medicine
• Lon Greenberg, trustee
• Valerie Harrison, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion
• Kellyn Hodges, trustee
• Marina Kats, trustee 
• Drew A. Katz, trustee
• Rohan Khadka, president, Temple Student Government  
• Susanna Lachs, trustee 
• Mitchell L. Morgan, trustee and chair 
• Leon O. Moulder Jr., trustee
• Bret S. Perkins, trustee 
• Phillip C. Richards, trustee

I want to publicly thank Acting President JoAnne A. Epps for her devotion to Temple and her willingness to step in at a critical juncture. Her strong, steady presence has given us the gift of time, and the ability to proceed with the search in a thoughtful and deliberate manner.

As we officially launch the search process, I believe we have laid a strong foundation for success. I look forward to updating you as we move forward.

Sincerely,

Mitchell L. Morgan
Chair of the Board of Trustees