Presidential Search Update

Dear Radford University Community,

I am writing to you today to provide an update on the ongoing presidential search process. 

The Presidential Search Committee recently conducted 15 in-person interviews with candidates identified from a diverse pool as the most qualified to serve as Radford University’s eighth president. During the interviews, the Committee gained insight about each candidate on their views and experience with student success, vision and leadership, team building and motivation, enrollment strategies, resource development, decision making and personal growth, shared governance and communication, and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Following the interviews, the Presidential Search Committee identified candidates to move forward in the search process. Currently, reference checks are being conducted on these candidates.

The next step will be for the Presidential Search Committee to provide an unranked list of no fewer than three nor more than five qualified candidates to the Board of Visitors for consideration. The Board of Visitors is committed to identifying the best person to build on the successes of our great University and lead us with prosperity into the future. It is our goal to identify our next president by the end of December.

As part of the ongoing process, we have created a Presidential Transition Committee to plan and facilitate a successful onboarding process and transition for the new president and their family. The Committee will develop a Transition Plan through which the president and their family are introduced to Radford University, the community and constituency groups in order to facilitate the building of healthy working relationships and the continuation of successful strategic planning. The Committee will reach out to other University constituency groups to seek information and support in order to produce and implement the Transition Plan.

The Presidential Transition Committee is made up of seven members and is chaired by Board of Visitors member Lisa Throckmorton. The members include: Board of Visitors member Susan Whealler Johnston; Vice Presidents Chad Reed, Wendy Lowery and Susan Trageser; Faculty Senate President Katie Hilden; and RUC Faculty Member and Faculty Senator Sheila Krajnik. 

I am very proud of the hard work, dedication and commitment that members of the Presidential Search Committee, with the assistance of Greenwood/Asher and Associates, have placed on identifying the best candidates. I also assure you that the Board of Visitors is totally committed to concluding this process with an exceptional and visionary leader to serve as our next president.

Sincerely,

Robert A. Archer
Rector
Radford University Board of Visitors