The announcement by University President Karen R. Hitchcock of her resignation as of the end of the current academic year requires the University Council to organize a Presidential Search. Under Section 356 of the New York Education Law, the University Council is responsible for undertaking this process and submitting its recommendation to the Chancellor and Trustees of the State University of New York.

The process, in accordance with Presidential Search Guidelines adopted by the SUNY Trustees, calls for the establishment of a Presidential Search Committee that will include members of the University Council, faculty, and representatives of other constituencies. This committee will implement a national search with the goal of identifying a group of highly qualified candidates who will be invited for campus interviews during the final stages of the search. At that time, representatives from the various campus constituencies will have an opportunity to meet with these candidates and offer their observations to the committee.

A Presidential Search Office has been established and Dr. Sorrell Chesin, who serves as Secretary to the University Council, will serve as Liaison Officer to provide support for the search process and its organizational structure. We plan to establish a Presidential Search web page on the University�s Website so that information and updates will be available to the university community during the search process.

This first communication to the university community is intended to briefly outline the initial steps being undertaken to organize the search activity.

George M. Philip, Chair
University Council