CHANCELLOR

University of California, Merced

Chancellor

Merced, CA

The University of California invites nominations and applications for the position of Chancellor of the University of California, Merced.

The Chancellor is the chief executive officer of the University of California, Merced, and is responsible to the President. Within the scope of University policy, the Chancellor exercises broad authority over and is responsible for all aspects of campus administration.

Opened in 2005, the University of California, Merced (UC Merced) was the first new University of California campus in 40 years, and the first American research university of the twenty-first century. UC Merced has a tradition of being innovative and has established excellence in academics, faculty and student achievement. The campus was founded as part of an effort to increase access to the University of California system for California’s top achievers, enhance the University of California’s presence within the rapidly growing San Joaquin Valley, and to strengthen and diversify the economy of one of the world’s most productive agricultural regions.

UC Merced is a campus on the rise. U.S. News & World Report ranked the campus #44 among public universities and #104 overall among national universities; in the past two years the campus rose 61 spots overall and 43 among public institutions. It has also risen to the #1 campus in the nation for outperforming graduation rate expectations and #27 among public universities in annual alumni giving rate. UC Merced is designated a Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education R2 doctoral-granting university with higher research activity. Additionally, the campus has earned Carnegie’s prestigious Classification for Community Engagement, a testament to its deep commitment to the Central Valley. The faculty currently includes twenty-four National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award recipients, two Department of Defense Career award recipients, and one National Institute of Health (NIH) Career Development Award recipient.

UC Merced proudly serves the most ethnically and culturally diverse student body among all University of California campuses. Seventy-three percent of undergraduates are first-generation college students, with sixty-four percent Pell Grant eligible. UC Merced has approximately 250 ladder-rank and 160 non ladder-rank faculty, 1,080 staff, an enrollment of more than 8,500 students including 700 graduate students. Undergraduate students pursue 24 different majors and 25 minors and graduate students work towards graduate certificates, master’s degrees or doctoral degrees in 17 academic programs in its three Schools: School of Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, and the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts. The campus is proudly ranked #7 nationally in social mobility by U.S. News & World Report and #13 among publics in undergraduate teaching.

UC Merced is home to two research units, the Sierra Nevada Research Institute and the Health Sciences Research Institute. The campus also participates in the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), an inter-campus research center; and is the lead campus on two collaborative multi-campus research programs, UC Solar and UC Water. Researchers at UC Merced have created partnerships with signature research entities such as, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Joint Genome Institute, and the National Parks Service.

The next Chancellor will be joining the university at a pivotal time. UC Merced is a young campus moving into maturity. With many of its foundational needs met, the campus now requires a Chancellor who matches the innovation and dynamism of the Merced campus to work with and grow the enrollment of the most diverse student body in the UC system; and to recruit new and talented faculty while also supporting existing faculty and researchers focusing on major global challenges as well as the pressing needs of the San Joaquin Valley.

Qualified candidates should have demonstrated leadership skills in a large, multifaceted organization and have a deep knowledge and appreciation for a rigorous academic and research environment. The ideal candidate must have an excellent record of professional accomplishment in an academic setting, including a clear vision of the future of higher education; a proven record of achieving community and philanthropic support; a clear understanding and appreciation for shared governance and transparency; a demonstrated commitment to ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic diversity. Consistent with UC Merced’s values, this person must have the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in the San Joaquin Valley and across the State.

Reviews of candidate materials will begin immediately and the position will remain open until filled. For best consideration, please submit materials by December 12, 2019. Salary will be commensurate with experience. The University of California has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist with this search. Please visit https://www.imsearch.com/7192 for additional information, and confidential inquiries, nominations, referrals and resumes with cover letter should be sent in confidence to: MercedChancellor@imsearch.com.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct