Naropa launches new presidential search

The search for a new president at Naropa University in Boulder has been underway since this week after various factors prompted the university to pause the search.

Applications are open now. Naropa plans to conduct interviews in early 2025 and bring finalists to campus in the spring. The goal is for the new president to take office this summer.

“The Naropa Board of Directors has announced the launch of a formal search for a new president, with a transition expected in the spring or summer of 2025,” according to the search for a website. “The Board is committed to a fully inclusive process and will engage with the entire Naropa community in various locations. The search committee has been selected and is working closely with the board of directors and our search consultant.

The job offer does not include a salary scale. When asked for the salary range, the university did not disclose it. Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act requires all employers to list a salary range on every job posting.

Naropa officials did not answer further questions about the search or provide information beyond what was posted on its presidential search website.

AGB Search is the company running the search, which is the same company the University of Colorado Boulder hired to find his new chancellor.

The search for a new president of Naropa has been put on hold in August 2023, after the university and its premier search firm determined that it needed to address systemic issues and prepare before committing to a presidential search. THE original plan was to choose a new president to take over this fall.

Asked about “systemic issues” cited by the board, Naropa officials pointed to several obstacles, including the university’s 50th anniversary, accreditation renewal and leadership changes.

A audit report showed that the university has faced financial challenges in recent years, and tax records show that Naropa has operated with negative net income in eight of the past ten years. THE most recent filing for fiscal year 2023, net income is negative $5,160,286. Naropa officials would not say whether Naropa’s finances contributed to the research delay.

Ellen Heffernan is the CEO of Spelman Johnson, the original research company that was supposed to conduct the presidential search for Naropa. Heffernan said the company never had a contract with Naropa and did not explain why the company did not work with the university.

Naropa senior Sean Russell didn’t feel good about the presidential search until he and other students had a meeting with the new search company. He believes the research company cares about Naropa’s research and mission.

Russell hopes Naropa will choose a president who is knowledgeable about business.

“I want someone who can balance a budget,” Russell said. “Someone who is creative enough to see that there are more ways for a nonprofit university to make money.”

Crystal Street enrolled at Naropa at age 47 and will graduate in 2023. She worked in the marketing department while a student and believes Naropa’s finances will make finding a new president difficult.

“Very few people would want to take this step,” Street said.

She said it was possible Naropa would promote someone within the university. Naropa notes on its webpage that internal candidates are welcome to apply and will be evaluated using the same criteria as external candidates.

“Any potential president who is not from the inside or who is not internal would do their due diligence in asking for these things,” Street said. “I suspect this person would want to know the full extent of what they are going to be president of.”

Russell said Naropa had been very concerned about its finances for several years and had been in a precarious situation since the pandemic.

“I think the president not only needs to communicate that he appreciates the space, what we do and our mission, but his actions (must show) that he believes in the mission of Naropa and in our community,” he said. he declared.

The new president will succeed Charles Lief, who served as Naropa’s president for 12 years and holds the longest presidential term in Naropa’s 50-year history. His successor will be the eighth president of the university.

For more information on the research, visit naropa.edu/about-naropa/presidential-search/#faqs.