Progress Proceeds to Interviews with Presidential Candidates

Waco, Texas (February 22, 2017) – In a report to the Baylor Board of Regents on Feb. 17, Presidential Search Committee Chair Bob Brewton, BBA ’74, of Houston, shared progress by the 12-member committee toward the recommendation of the University’s 15th president. The Committee hopes to complete its work and join the University in announcing a new president by the end of the spring semester.

After compiling feedback from more than 700 online input forms and listening sessions with more than 350 people, the committee outlined the leadership qualities and competencies the new president should exhibit. Among them, Baylor’s next president should be:

• a dynamic faith leader who understands the centrality of integrating faith and learning with leadership;
• an academic leader who has a passion for driving academic and research excellence;
• an operating leader who has proven effectiveness in complex organizations;
• a 360-degree leader who values collaboration and can represent Baylor locally, nationally and internationally;
• a transformational leader who can successfully drive change and continuous improvement;
• a culture leader who exhibits a servant-leader style focused on excellence.

Heidrick & Struggles (H&S), a worldwide executive search firm, was engaged in October 2016, to work alongside the Presidential Search Committee. H&S and the Committee initiated a proactive outreach beginning in December focused on leaders in four areas—Higher Education, Corporate, Government, and Military. To develop the most comprehensive pool of candidates, advertisements were placed in The Chronicle of Higher Education, CUPA-HR, Diverse Issues in Higher Ed, Inside Higher Ed, Hispanic Outlook, and Women in Higher Education. Additionally, H&S has proactively contacted University Presidents and Provosts from the US News Top 100 Ranked National Universities.

“H&S and the Committee have been very active in seeking the best candidates for Baylor University,” said Brewton. “We have reviewed over 400 candidate backgrounds and profiles to date and H&S has contacted 150 individuals for screening conversations and held first-round interviews with 61 candidates. The candidate pool has now been narrowed and the Committee is conducting face-to-face interviews with top candidates.”

“This search has resulted in an exceptionally strong pool of diverse candidates that have a high level of interest in the position and who would make an outstanding President of Baylor University,” Brewton continued. “I have truly seen the hand of God at work throughout this process.”

More information and updates on progress on the presidential search process at Baylor University are available at www.baylor.edu/president/search.