Update on search for SJU president

SENT ON BEHALF OF SJU CHAIR & VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD, JIM FREY AND ANN HUNTRODS
Report to SJU & CSB Communities
Jan. 29, 2009

We would like to update the SJU and CSB communities about the search for a new president of Saint John’s University.

The Board of Regents has as one of its principal duties the appointment of the president. The Statutes of the University state that the Chair of the Board coordinates searches for the president, and the Chancellor “nominate[s] the President of the University for appointment by the Board of Regents after consultation with the Board of Regents and representative members of the faculty ...” (Article VII, Section 2.a.) 

The SJU Board has established a Presidential Selection Committee that includes, among others, members of the faculty, administrators, a CSB Trustee, current and former Regents and a member of the monastic community. The committee, chaired by Ann Huntrods, Vice Chair of the Board, will be free to structure a process for selection as it deems appropriate. We expect the process to be developed in the next few weeks and to include public forums for members of our communities to meet with candidates. Further information will be provided as the selection process is more clearly defined.  

We want you to know that the Board of Regents intends to continue the 150-year tradition of having a Benedictine monk from Saint John’s Abbey serve as president of the University. Regent discussions in the last years about leadership succession have solidified the commitment to seek a Benedictine president, and the Board believes that there are members of the Saint John’s monastic community who are viable and serious candidates for the office of president. Having a member of the sponsoring religious community serve as president is a model practiced by some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the United States and a practice that has served Saint John’s extraordinarily well. 

We assure you that the Regents have considered both the positive and negative implications of limiting the search to members of the Abbey. Over the past many years, there has been considerable reflection on what it means for us to be Benedictine and Catholic. Regents are deeply committed to preserving and strengthening the Benedictine character of the University and the dynamic relationship with the Abbey. Many of us share a concern that the declining numbers of Benedictines serving in the University will change the distinctiveness that draws people to Saint John’s. Clearly, Br. Dietrich’s extraordinary service to the University was shaped by his monastic roots, and this strengthens our belief that a monastic president is the right model for Saint John’s.

The president holds responsibility for academics, administration, public relations and fundraising. Equally important is the expectation that the president embody and articulate our unique Benedictine and Catholic character to our various publics: current and prospective students, parents, alumni, donors, friends, the Central Minnesota community and the church. A monk of Saint John’s Abbey, shaped by the life and tradition of this place, is best positioned to meet this important need. We are confident that a Benedictine president at this time is in the best interest of a strong and vital Saint John’s University.  

It is our hope that the Board of Regents could act on a nomination from the Chancellor at the board meeting on May 18, 2009, for appointment effective July 1, 2009. We will keep the SJU and CSB communities informed as the process moves forward. Thank you in advance for your support and participation in this important work. 

Jim Frey, Chair and Ann Huntrods, Vice Chair
Saint John’s University Board of Regents

Presidential Selection Committee 2009
Ann Huntrods, Committee Chair & SJU Board Vice Chair
Kathy Cooney, Chair, CSB Board of Trustees
Rob Culligan, SJU VP of Institutional Advancement
Patti Epsky, SJU Executive Assistant to the President
Jennifer Galovich, SJU Faculty Member & Former Faculty Regent
Katie Johnson, SJU Faculty Regent
Tom Joyce, Former SJU Chair & Regent Emeritus
Phil Kronebusch, SJU Faculty & Former Faculty Regent
Jon McGee, CSB/SJU VP of Enrollment, Planning & Public Affairs
Joe Mucha, Former SJU Regent
Ken Roering, SJU Regent
Tom Schnettler, SJU Regent
Hilary Thimmesh, OSB, President Emeritus & SJU Regent
Nick Truso, SJU Student Regent
Jim Frey, Chair, SJU Board of Regents (ex officio)
Abbot John Klassen, OSB, SJU Chancellor (ex officio)