Dear Colleagues,

I write to announce that the search for the next Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost has been publicly launched. The full position description along with requirements and information about the application process can be found at http://go.illinois.edu/provostsearch. Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited.

Our next provost must be a dynamic individual with the experiences, skills, passion and commitment necessary to lead one of the nation’s first public land-grant universities as we position ourselves for the challenges of the 21^st century. The first step in this process will be the most important – finding the best pool of candidates in the world to evaluate.

Just as I’ve asked the members of the search committee to be aggressive and proactive in identifying candidates, I now make that same request of the entire university community. I encourage you to read the posting and share it with colleagues you believe would be outstanding in the role or to directly nominate individuals who you feel should be considered as potential candidates for this critical leadership position.

The most powerful advocates for this university are the faculty, staff and students who understand what a special place this is and what a rare career opportunity it is to become the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

I’m excited to launch this search and I thank all of you for your efforts to identify and recruit our next provost.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor