President

The University of St. Thomas invites nominations, expressions of interest and applications as it seeks an exceptional leader to serve as the 16th president of a mission-driven institution striving to be a great place for students, staff and faculty to think, act and work to advance the common good.

As the largest private university in Minnesota and one of the largest Catholic colleges or universities in the nation, St. Thomas develops future leaders of all faiths looking to make a positive impact on the world. The university has more than 10,000 students, eight schools and colleges and a community-wide commitment to the pursuit of truth, academic excellence, faith and reason, dignity, diversity, personal attention and gratitude. St. Thomas benefits from a strong legacy, net assets of $1.2 billion and remarkable resources including a talented and devoted community of faculty, staff and students; large and powerful network of over 115,000 alumni; dedicated and generous board of trustees; strong philanthropic support; beautiful and well-maintained urban campuses in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Rome, Italy; and an environment that embraces all individuals in the rich tradition of Catholic higher education. Innovation and adapting to serve the needs of students, employers and the community are embedded in the culture at St. Thomas. The university has a strong fundraising campaign under way and recently opened a new College of Health and transitioned to a Division 1 athletics program. At this pivotal moment, the university looks to welcome a new president who will build upon the strong assets of this outstanding institution and lead it to even greater impact and reach.

The next president of St. Thomas will play a seminal role in determining how the institution will move forward – by honing the university's vision for its future, advocating for that vision both internally and externally, building resources to turn that vision into reality and achieving a level of excellence and impact that distinguishes the nation's top Catholic universities. To that end, the new leader will become fully immersed in the community and build trust with all St. Thomas stakeholders; provide strategic leadership; champion a diverse, welcoming and inclusive community; nurture the university's shared governance model; build institutional stature and recognition; enhance philanthropic opportunities; and diversify revenues while maintaining fiscal integrity.

The successful candidate will possess a comprehensive understanding of the current circumstances of American higher education and will demonstrate a record of successful leadership and managerial experience in a complex and dynamic setting. The next president of St. Thomas will be a superior communicator and relationship builder with a leadership style that emphasizes inclusivity, transparency and collaboration. The ideal candidate will possess a record of teaching, scholarship and service commensurate with an appointment to the St. Thomas faculty at the rank of full professor; however, candidates with significant leadership experience and an understanding of higher education will also be considered. The president must be Catholic and, most importantly, identify deeply with St. Thomas' commitment to embodying and championing a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment and with its ethos of social innovation, entrepreneurship, promoting human dignity and advancing the common good.

A detailed leadership profile is available at this link.

All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile.

WittKieffer is assisting the University of St. Thomas in this search. Review of applicant materials has begun; for fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by September 30, 2022 and submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal.

Nominations and inquiries can be directed to:

Robin Mamlet, Ryan Crawford and Alejandra Gillette-Teran
StThomasPresident@wittkieffer.com

The University of St. Thomas embraces diversity, inclusion and equality for all. Our convictions of dignity, diversity and personal attention call us to embody and champion a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. We welcome applicants of diverse races, ethnicities, geographic origins, gender identities, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, religions, work experience, physical and intellectual abilities and financial means. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills.