Ryerson University has launched the first step in the search for a new president, but the committee is still unsure of what to expect for the university’s incoming top dog.
A survey was released on Monday to gain insight into what students, faculty and alumni hope for in Ryerson’s next president and vice-chancellor.
The survey, designed by the presidential search committee, consists of six questions. These questions explore the strengths and weaknesses of the university and the desired characteristics and priorities of a new president.
Julia Shin Doi, a member of the search committee, explained that the committee has no leads on suitable candidates as of yet. She said that they aren’t jumping the gun until they hear what the students have to say.
Shin Doi also said that there isn’t a suggested salary in mind yet for the incoming president.
“The presidential search committee has met three times and has not determined salary for the new candidate,” Shin Doi said.
“That said, the university must comply with the provincial salary restraint legislation.”
Current president Sheldon Levy announced in December that he would not be entering a third term as president.
“There is still a lot to do in my term as president. The beauty of every university is that you are putting things in place for the long term, with the academic cycle squarely focused on student success,” Levy said in a message to the community. “We will be keeping up the pace in the months to come, responding to opportunities as they arise and advancing the initiatives we have on the go.”
The search committee encourages the Ryerson community to participate by filling out the online survey anonymously and attending the three town hall meetings in April.
A students town hall yesterday afternoon kicked off the first public consultation.
Additional thoughts can be sent to the committee by email.
The committee hopes to have the replacement picked by March 2015 so the incoming president will be ready to take over for Levy in July 2015.
This story was first published in The Ryersonian, a weekly newspaper produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism, on April 2, 2014.
Jamie graduated from the Ryerson School of Journalism in 2014. She was an intern at Global News focusing on editing and worked for the Ryersonian.