Looking ahead
The Board of Regents has been hard at work designing an extensive and inclusive search process
to select WSU’s 12th president since President Schulz informed the board last
June of his intention to retire. That search process will begin this week, and a new
president will start during the summer of 2025.
As the search for WSU’s next leader commences, President Schulz will continue to build
on his legacy, acting on behalf of and in the best interest of the university he has
served for eight years now.
The board and the president know that interest in this position will be intense and
competitive. We ultimately want the next president to be an experienced and resourceful
thought leader in the realm of higher education, and we want them to be set up for success
as they lead WSU into its next great chapter.
On Friday, the Board of Regents initiated this process by establishing a Presidential
Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) that will work with the WSU community and a national search
firm to identify potential candidates and review applications. The regents are committed to
building an application process that honors transparency, inclusion, and equitable
representation.
The PSAC will be chaired by Jenette Ramos, current vice chair of the Board of Regents.
The 25‑person committee will include representation from the Board of Regents, university
leadership, faculty, staff, alumni, and donors, in addition to five at‑large positions that
will be open to applications from individuals currently or previously associated with WSU.
Applicants will be selected to reflect geographic representation for all WSU campuses, faculty,
staff, students, donors, alumni, and community leaders.
Applications are now open and will be accepted through May 10, 2024. Individuals interested
in serving on the PSAC can apply online on the presidential search website. The regents serving
on the PSAC will review applications and conduct interviews before members of the committee are
selected.
The presidential search process will launch with focus groups that will capture input from
our internal WSU community. The PSAC chairperson and external search consultant will facilitate
these focus groups beginning the week of April 29 through mid‑May. A community survey will also
be available and open on April 29 to gather broader feedback from those who may be unable to
attend one of the focus group sessions. The Board of Regents will review the feedback as it
develops the first draft of the Leadership Profile at the strategic planning retreat on June 6
and 7, 2024.
While the ultimate selection of the 12th president will be made by the Board of Regents, we
invite the entire WSU community to engage in the process, provide feedback, and help the board
select the next president of WSU. We firmly believe that you are all part of what makes WSU
such a great and welcoming place, and you will to be involved in the search for our next great
leader. For information on how you can lean into this process, please refer to the
presidential search website, which will be regularly updated throughout the search. We will
also provide periodic updates to the university community throughout the search process.
In his final year at WSU, President Schulz looks forward to continuing to focus on
stabilizing enrollment, reviewing administrative and programmatic systems across the
university, finding a long-term home for Cougar Athletics, and aggressively fundraising
for WSU.
Finding a successor will be a major undertaking, but it’s also a time of terrific
opportunity. We’re confident that the next president of WSU will carry forward our legacy
of academic excellence as we continue to fulfill our land-grant mission of meeting
Washingtonians where they are and fueling our state’s workforce and future.
This is a great university and an exciting time to be a Coug.
Lisa Keohokalole Schauer
Board of Regents Chair
Kirk H. Schulz
System President
