University of Alaska Board of Regents begins search for interim UA system president

The University of Alaska system has begun the process of searching for an interim UA system president.

With current UA President Jim Johnsen set to resign on July 1st, the Board of Regents met on June 30th to establish and approve a timeline for the interim search.

First, the board will come up with a list of important attributes for the interim president to possess in order to effectively execute the position.

Next, a candidate pool will be assembled using nominations from the board, recommendations from the university community, Human Resources and Governance Groups, and those who place their own names in the hat.

An announcement of the interim president is expected by the board no later than July 15th. Meanwhile Vice President of University Relations Michelle Rizk will serve as acting president.

Chief Human Resources Officer Steve Patin explained that the process to find the new permanent president is open-ended.

"It's clear that the interim president will be around for some time because you really want to be thoughtful about the president that's going to lead us for five or ten years into the future. You don't want to rush into that decision,” he said.

According to Patin, the interim president will not be a figurehead or caretaker of the position. “This person, this leader of our university system will have real things to do on behalf of the board.” He added, “It’s important that this person is prepared to roll up their sleeves and do the important things that we need to do.”