Presidential Leadership Statement

President

The Board of Trustees of Auburn University seeks its 21st president, a person of integrity and vision who will lead our multifaceted institution to even greater prominence. The next president of the state’s R1 land-, sea-, and space-grant institution will oversee the Auburn University main campus located in Auburn, Alabama; Auburn University at Montgomery, a separately accredited campus located in the state’s capital (Montgomery, Alabama); the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station; and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, a joint enterprise with Alabama A&M University. The leader will marshal the institution’s $1.54 billion budget and vast resources, spearheading the university’s strategic vision and economic development. Auburn finds itself at an exciting crossroads, celebrating achievements and planning for continued growth. The next president will have the ability to foster excellence in our 31,000 students, our exceptional faculty and staff, and our dynamic alumni base. The university seeks a bold visionary who appreciates and respects Auburn traditions while energetically leading the university toward an accomplished future. As a Southeastern Conference charter member, Auburn has a strong reputation of athletic prestige, including numerous national championships in men’s and women’s sports.

Qualifications for the President of Auburn University

The 21st president of Auburn University has a historic opportunity to shape the direction of one of the nation’s leading public research universities. The preferred candidate will work with faculty, students, staff, alumni and community partners to promote a shared vision of higher education dedicated to research excellence and an exceptional student experience. This president will take office with a charge to lead Auburn into a vibrant future that draws upon its mission:

The next president will be an experienced and visionary leader, as well as an accomplished scholar who understands that research and teaching excellence, together with service and public engagement, are at the very heart of the land-grant university. The president will employ wise stewardship of resources, talent, and innovation. Passionate about the promise of economic opportunity and social mobility afforded by an outstanding education, the president will possess a clear and articulate understanding of the indispensability of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and the classroom.

A proven, capable, and experienced administrator, the president will encourage and support research, teaching, and public service as instruments of growth and economic development. The president will advocate for Auburn University with community partners in the business and civic sectors. In preparation for the next comprehensive university fundraising campaign, the president will serve as the “face of fundraising” for the university. The president will be expected to engage and encourage donors and alumni to maintain a lifelong supportive relationship with Auburn University, fostered by outstanding academic and athletics programs of the university.

The president will have excellent communication skills, a capacity for collaboration, and an appreciation for the multitude of interests that animate a world-class university and its constituencies. The next president will be a university-wide leader who grasps both the big picture and the foundations that comprise it. The president’s role is to sustain and promote the university as a leader in the marketplace of ideas, discoveries, and technologies, both locally and globally. Capitalizing on more than a century and a half of excellence in research, teaching, and service in the public interest, the next president will develop sustainable models for generating knowledge in the arts, business, engineering, the humanities, and the sciences in a dynamic fiscal environment.

A visionary leader, the president will be committed to nurturing within Auburn’s students the best critical- and creativethinking skills and equipping them with the expertise they need to succeed in the changing landscape of work and citizenship. The next president must be a thoughtful thinker, a cooperative problem-solver, and will have an opportunity to articulate a renewed sense of purpose for all stakeholders committed to sustaining Auburn University as the exemplar of a public land-grant university. The next president will have the commitment, vision, entrepreneurial skills, and ability to foster growth of the research enterprise and the infrastructure to support it, ensuring its quality and competitiveness, and its contribution to economic development.

The president’s daily job will ensure that the university anticipates the future with energy, enthusiasm, and a vision. Working with a variety of partners, the president will shape short- and long-term strategies to guarantee that Auburn University not only embraces the challenges of the next 150 years but defines the role of public higher education in addressing them, as well.

Priorities for Leadership

Strong preference will be given to candidates with the following qualifications and attributes:

• An academic background and credentials, including an earned Ph.D. or the highest degree in their chosenacademic field.

• A successful record of academic leadership based on a robust combination of scholarly accomplishment andexecutive experience.

• Evidence of commitment and demonstrated experience in developing a sustained culture of inclusiveexcellence at the institutional level that models and puts into practice principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Experience with budgetary decision-making, framed by the financial issues currently facing public research universities.

• A demonstrated comprehension of and appreciation for high scholarly productivity and creative excellence, including the distinctive contributions of all the university’s schools and colleges to a diverse, R1 comprehensive university.

• A commitment to maintaining the positive role and impact of nationally prominent athletics in support of the university, its students, alumni, local communities, and the state.

• A commitment to the teaching mission of the public land-grant university in a rapidly changing world, including support for technology-enhanced learning.

• The demonstrated ability to attract and retain a diverse and accomplished faculty, student body, and staff and articulate the ethical and educational reasons for doing so.

• The ability to represent the mission, challenges, and opportunities of Auburn University and the willingness to provide national leadership in higher education.

• A commitment to effective communication and collaborative work with various partners, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and community leaders.

• A proven record in fundraising, advancement activities, and alumni relations, and a capacity for cultivating a broad range of stakeholders.

• The ability to identify and recruit high-quality talent committed to excellence at all levels and in all areas of the institution, with a record of building, empowering, and mentoring a strong, skilled, and collaborative leadership team.

• An understanding of the culture and importance of student leadership, student involvement, and student opinion at Auburn University. The candidate shall have a passion for supporting and enhancing that culture.

• The ability to establish and facilitate sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including alumni; donors and sponsors; parents; the public; local, state, and federal public officials; the business community; students; faculty; and staff.

• The ability to appreciate, recognize, and commit to leveraging the passion of the Auburn alumni base. The candidate will appreciate and be enthusiastic about being or becoming a part of the Auburn community and culture.

• Exhibit collegiality, empathy, strong communication skills, and emotional intelligence

• A commitment to continuing environmentally sustainable and educational programs related to the responsible stewardship of natural resources and the environment.

• A work ethic that prioritizes shared governance, integrity, and transparency as core values thatshape all university processes and decision-making.

• A demonstrated leadership style characterized by respect and the characteristics embodied in the Auburn Creed.

Principal Responsibilities of the Auburn University President

• Provide exemplary leadership, management, and resource development as CEO for Auburn University.

• Provide exemplary leadership for Auburn University and all related entities.

• Manage an operating budget of $1.54 billion.

• Provide oversight of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Alabama Cooperative Extension System (in cooperation with the president of Alabama A&M University), and Auburn University at Montgomery.

• Partner with a diverse group of institutions, community colleges, and other educational institutions to advance the university’s mission throughout the state of Alabama and the U.S.

• Work collaboratively with the Auburn University Board of Trustees to develop the university’s priorities and strategic vision, leading the institution to successfully accomplish them, and carrying out the Board’s strategic vision within the context of the university’s tradition of shared governance.

• Provide oversight for the development, delivery, and assessment of academic programs, policies, and research activities.

• Provide oversight for a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program for the university, including university accountability for NCAA compliance.

• Ensure that the total student experience, including safety, mental and physical health, nutrition, and academics is the best in the country.

• Support and strengthen public safety and foster university compliance with federal and state regulations.

• Build strong partnerships and cultivate existing relationships with Auburn community leaders.

• Set and lead the philanthropic agenda for the university.

• Participate in the university’s overall strategic planning, allocation, and evaluation operations.

How to apply

Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc. is assisting Auburn University in this search. Applications and nominations are now being accepted. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process.

Confidential inquiries, nominations and application materials should be directed to Greenwood/Asher. Submission of application materials (cover letter, CV, and list of five references) as PDF attachments is strongly encouraged. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made.