President

Presidential Search

University of the Pacific’s Board of Regents requests nominations and applications for the position of president. The board seeks a visionary and collaborative leader to guide the university’s continued pursuit of academic and teaching excellence and its commitment to student success. The president will lead Pacific with innovative and entrepreneurial thinking that will position the university for strategic growth and new opportunities.

The University

University of the Pacific is a nationally ranked private university with three distinct campuses united under one common goal: to educate and prepare the leaders of tomorrow through intensive academic study, experiential learning and service to the community. The university's distinctive Northern California footprint includes its Stockton campus in the heart of the state’s important agricultural region, and home to its undergraduate and liberal arts programs; its San Francisco campus, situated in the South of Market (SoMa) hub, the nexus of high-tech and finance, and home to the renowned Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and graduate programs in health care and technology; and the Sacramento campus nearby the state capitol, home to the iconic McGeorge School of Law and graduate programs in health care, education, public policy, public administration and law.

Pacific’s student population is made up of more than 3,700 undergraduates and 2,800 graduate and professional students. Students benefit from an average class size of 18, and a student-faculty ratio of 13:1. The majority of programs at Pacific are delivered in a face-to-face format with some hybrid programs for graduate students, and some fully online courses in summer. More than a dozen undergraduate programs and many professional programs are offered in an accelerated format that enables students to earn their degrees at a faster pace. Pacific’s learning environment also includes a breadth of co-curricular opportunities: more than 180 student clubs among the three campuses and a wealth of cultural, arts, sports, political, professional, spiritual, social and intellectual programs and events. A broad suite of educational and developmental services ranging from mental health to tutoring to comprehensive career services also support students’ well-being and academic success.

Pacific competes in NCAA Division I athletics and the university is a member institution of the West Coast Conference. The athletics program includes 17 sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's cross country, men's golf, women's sand volleyball, men's and women's soccer, women's softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, women's track and field, women's volleyball and men's and women's water polo.

Pacific has experienced unprecedented fundraising success with the bequest of a transformational $125 million estate gift in 2008, distributed to Pacific in FY2014 from Robert and Jeannette Powell, who both served on the university’s Board of Regents. The gift established the Powell Match program which matches new or enhanced scholarship and academic program endowments on a 1:1 basis. The Powell Match program is the cornerstone of the university’s new comprehensive fundraising campaign, Leading with Purpose: The Campaign for University of the Pacific, which started in 2013 and publicly launched in October 2017. With a $300 million goal, the campaign represents the largest fundraising endeavor in the university’s history. To date, more than $235 million has been committed in the campaign, including 260 Powell Matches. In the past decade, Pacific’s endowment has grown by $300 million and nearly tripled in size in the last five years, and $21 million in new academic program endowments have been established. Since the campaign began, the amount of endowed donor-funded scholarship distributions has more than tripled from $3.5 million to nearly $11 million in 2019.

The university has a solid financial foundation supported by a Stable Moody’s A2 rating, strong reserves and growth in net assets over the past several years. The university's operating budget for the current fiscal year 2019 (July 2018-June 2019) is $263M (net of auxiliary revenues) and assumes a projected total revenue of $267M. The majority of the university's revenue is net tuition, which is projected to increase slightly for 2018-19. For more information about Pacific, please visit https://www.pacific.edu/.

Position Summary

The president is appointed by the Board of Regents and serves as the university’s chief executive officer responsible for setting the vision, strategy and related institutional goals and objectives. The president oversees the university’s administration and operations and implements the policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Regents. In their role, the president will develop a strong leadership team and foster the university’s values and a culture that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion.

Pacific’s next president will be a collaborative leader who will foster effective relationships with key stakeholders including students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, business and community partners, legislative leaders and other influencers. In doing so, the president will spearhead the university’s efforts in setting an ambitious trajectory for Pacific’s future.

To be successful in this position, the next president will:

  • Continue Pacific’s commitment to academic excellence and the liberal arts by setting high standards and measurable goals to ensure student success;
  • Continue efforts to improve and expand a high-quality experience for all students;
  • Promote and strengthen the organizational culture by fostering a shared sense of the university’s mission and goals among all constituents;
  • Provide leadership to faculty, staff, administrators and other constituents in implementing the current and future strategic plans;
  • Possess a demonstrated ability to address and bring closure to difficult or controversial issues, and make timely and effective decisions;
  • Possess an understanding of and commitment to shared governance;
  • Raise the visibility of the institution by working effectively with all stakeholders, including the Board of Regents; community and business leaders; educational institutions and organizations; alumni and donors; and the public;
  • Diversify and strengthen Pacific’s endowment through strong advocacy and the cultivation and solicitation of individuals, foundations and corporations;
  • Possess a strong financial acumen and experience developing and managing complex budgets and financial forecasting;
  • Understand the role of technology and its importance in the evolution of higher education;
  • Be a skilled, persuasive and authentic speaker and presenter (or storyteller) who is adept at understanding the nuances of communicating effectively to a wide variety of constituencies;
  • Have an engaging and charismatic personality.

Qualifications

Leading candidates for the presidency will be visionary and inspirational leaders who possess the passion and determination to lead Pacific toward achieving new levels of excellence. This will require a personal commitment to the mission, values, and culture of the university and an appreciation for the Pacific community at every level and on each campus.

Pacific seeks a president with exceptional communication and leadership skills coupled with the ability to develop highly effective teams and foster a culture of innovation and collegiality. The next president will possess a record of success driving a complex and dynamic organization that embraces excellence, community engagement and creative problem solving.

Although a terminal degree and exceptional academic administrative experience are preferred, the Board of Regents also welcomes and encourages candidates who have achieved noteworthy success in their respective fields outside higher education to apply. These candidates must have demonstrated experience and a track-record of success working in a complex, decentralized organizational structure where success is achieved in partnership and collaboration rather than solely through direct authority.

To view the full position profile and list of qualifications and desired qualities and characteristics, please visit https://www.pacific.edu/presidential-search.html.

Application and Nomination Process

The Presidential Search Advisory Committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and will continue to accept applications and nominations until the position is filled. Applicants must submit a current curriculum vitae and a letter of interest describing relevant experience. Submission of materials via e-mail is strongly encouraged. Nomination letters should include the name, position, address and telephone number of the nominee. All nominations and applications will be handled in confidence.

Alberto Pimentel, Managing Partner

Email:  apsearch@storbeckpimentel.com

Refer to code “Pacific-President” in subject line

Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates

6512 Painter Avenue

Whittier, CA 90601

University of the Pacific is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or other legally protected characteristics.