January 29, 2008

Statement from Daniel C. Tomson to the University at Albany Campus Community

As we begin the new semester, I'd like to take this opportunity to provide all of you in the campus community with an update on the ongoing process to select the next president for the University at Albany.

With the outstanding appointment of George Philip as Interim President, it has been my great pleasure to be elevated by the University Council to serve as the Chair of the search committee.  I've had the distinct privilege of serving on the Council since 1997, participating in the previous search, which culminated in the selection of Kermit Hall.  Once again, the search committee is comprised of a very thoughtful and dedicated group of colleagues dedicated to finding the most qualified person to become our next President.

Over the past few months the search committee has met as a group a number of times to identify and interview candidates and will, over the next few months, continue the efforts to build a high quality pool of candidates to present to the campus community. 

As you all know, our search for the next President of the University at Albany occurs in the context of a continually rising profile of higher education in New York State, and of the University at Albany in particular.  You have likely heard about Governor Spitzer's Commission on Higher Education that recently released a draft report highly supportive of the strong future of SUNY.  Further, the search for the new Chancellor of SUNY is now underway and will soon yield new leadership for the system as a whole.  And, more specific to our campus, the University at Albany was recently selected by Governor Spitzer to host a roundtable discussion about the future of public higher education in New York at our College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering.  All of these developments, and others, have brought highlighted attention to our University, both in and out of the State, and all enhance our efforts to attract the very best presidential candidates.

The search committee is committed to seeking out the best leaders and we will continue to accept applications and nominations until our job is complete.  Over the coming weeks, in addition to accepting additional applications and nominations, the search committee will also be scheduling follow-up meetings with some very qualified applicants, previously interviewed. While I am not able to offer a specific set of dates for the process ahead, our search process will be seeking your direct involvement--and will do so at a time we can ensure full campus participation.

I'd like to thank the search committee for their hard work and focus on this extremely important mission and thank the students, faculty, administration and staff at the University for their patience and understanding through this process. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress.

Sincerely,

Daniel C. Tomson
Chair, Presidential Search Committee