Q: Why is President Schulz leaving?
A: After a 15-year career as a university president and a notable career of eight years at WSU, President Schulz has announced his plans to retire in June 2025. He looks forward to spending more time writing and mentoring the next generation of higher education leaders.
Q: Who will be hiring the president?
A: While the ultimate selection of the 12th President at WSU will be made by the Board of Regents, active participation, input, and feedback is being sought from the broader WSU community throughout the search process.
Q: Who is on the search committee?
A: The Presidential Search Advisory Committee is chaired by Jenette Ramos, current Vice Chair of the Board of Regents. The 25-person committee includes representation from the Board of Regents, university leadership, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, community leaders, and employers from across the state of Washington.
Q: How was membership on the committee determined?
A: Individuals who are currently or have previously been associated with WSU were eligible to apply for membership on the search committee. Over 150 applications were evaluated, and the Regents serving on the advisory committee referenced the WSU-adopted Equity Impact Assessment Tool to assist with developing an equitable decision-making process.
A diversity of lived experience and expertise was valued in the selection process.
Q: How will the Board of Regents conduct the Presidential Search?
A: The process will center equity and be conducted in a professional, efficient, and timely manner. The Board of Regents adopted the Presidential Search Guidelines on April 19, 2024.
Q: When do we plan to announce the new president?
A: The search process started in April 2024. The new president will tentatively start in July 2025.
Q: Who is the search firm? How were they selected?
A: Isaacson, Miller was selected by the Board of Regents upon recommendation of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee conducted interviews with three search firms, and upon their recommendation, the Board of Regents selected Isaacson, Miller based on their knowledge of WSU and expertise in selecting university leadership.
Q: Isaacson, Miller is conducting several searches for WSU. How will they also prioritize this search?
A: For over 42 years, Isaacson, Miller has conducted over 400 senior-level executive searches. The Presidential search will be led by partner, Julie Filizetti and supported by a dedicated team of associates and coordinators.
Q: What will President Schulz be focused on during his last year at WSU?
A: Over the next year, President Schulz is committed to stabilizing enrollment, reviewing administrative and programmatic systems across the university, finding a long-term home for Cougar Athletics, and continuing to aggressively fundraise on behalf of WSU.
The Board of Regents, President Schulz, and the WSU leadership team are also committed to advancing four strategic focus areas –
- OneWSU: Implementing and evolving the OneWSU system approach to achieve excellence, inclusivity, and empowerment while leveraging the strength of our system.
- Fiscal Transparency: Securing a prosperous fiscal future through a comprehensive program review resulting in transparency and engagement across campuses, programs, and departments.
- Reputation Strength: Safeguarding our legacy by prioritizing academic excellence, amplifying our WSU story, and increasing enrollment.
- Stabilizing Athletics: Ensuring WSU student-athletes play competitively on the West Coast securing our place in an ever-changing athletic environment.
Q: What are the next steps?
A: The Presidential Search process launched with a focus on gathering insights from the WSU community. This early engagement began in May with focus group sessions designed to gather input from faculty, staff, students, and administrative leadership to inform the first draft of the Presidential Leadership Profile.
Now that input has been collected and incorporated into a draft profile and the search advisory committee selected, internal and external stakeholders will be asked to review the draft profile in August and September 2024. Community engagement sessions will be held in late August and early September to seek feedback on the Presidential Leadership Profile. Updates on the search will be regularly shared on this website.