Update from the Chair of the Presidential Search Committee

The following message was also distributed to students, staff, and faculty by email on February 16, 2024.

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

I am excited to share that the Presidential Search Committee (PSC) has reached the next stage in the search process: we have a short list of three exceptional candidates for UPEI’s next president and vice-chancellor. We will be inviting each candidate for an in-person interview as well as an opportunity to tour and experience our campus. The dates of the candidate visits are March 8, 11, and 18.

The typical hiring process for a university president and vice-chancellor is a closed one, but we recognize that it is important for the UPEI campus community to have more engagement in this particular presidential search process. It is a testament to these three candidates that they are coming to campus and working with us on a new way to bring presidential candidates forward openly. It brings risk to their careers and existing organizations. I thank them for their faith in us and their understanding of why we are requesting this significant travel and time commitment. All three candidates have studied our campus challenges and opportunities well and are willing to invest in our getting this process right.

As we are cognisant of their efforts to be present with us, in turn, we are keen to give them a strong and positive experience. The PSC is balancing its need to evaluate the potential of each of these candidates with our need to also show Island hospitality and demonstrate positive recruitment practices. In line with our commitment to accountability and transparency, we will be sharing more about the agendas for the candidate visits, including the hosting of an in-person open session for faculty, staff, and students only with each candidate. There will be a form sent out in subsequent communications to register for the sessions. There will also be anonymous feedback mechanisms in place for members of the campus community to provide their input.

I would like to thank the PSC members for their tremendous efforts to get us to this very important point in what has been challenging work. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Action Plan Advisory Group for their recommendations on the presidential search process—their recommendations have been ground-breaking for the executive search community at this hiring level.

Sincerely,

Shannon MacDonald, FCA, CPA, ICD.D
Chair, UPEI Board of Governors and Presidential Search Committee