SU Chancellor Search Committee finalizes criteria, outlines goals for hire
The Daily Orange breaks down the sections outlined in the Chancellor Search document. The search committee eyes a spring 2026 deadline for selecting Syracuse University's next leader. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
UPDATE: This post was updated at 12:39 a.m. on October 16, 2025.
Syracuse University’s Chancellor Search Committee announced its finalized position description as it begins to search for Chancellor Kent Syverud’s successor.
The document outlines general expectations for SU’s next chancellor and information under three main sections: the leadership opportunity, candidate profile and about the university, the Tuesday campus-wide email stated.
The Daily Orange has broken down each section and what the committee is looking for in a candidate.
The leadership opportunity
This section outlines the expectations and opportunities for SU’s new chancellor, stating they will serve as an “inspiring and transparent communicator,” listening to faculty, staff, students and community leaders.
Expectations include advancing SU’s “unique character” as a private university with a “public spirit” committed to providing access and opportunity to students of all backgrounds, including veterans, first-generation students and international students.
The next chancellor will serve as an advocate for higher education in an “increasingly skeptical environment” and be a “champion” of shared governance, fostering a culture of transparency.
Potential candidates should also be “crisis-tested,” comfortable making “difficult choices” and collaborating to create a shared vision.
Creating a campus that is committed to civil discourse and academic freedom is also listed. The next chancellor should uphold diverse perspectives, rigorous debate and protect free speech at SU, according to the document.
The position description mentions Micron, as SU played a role in the company’s decision to build a semiconductor facility in the Town of Clay. It states the next chancellor will be part of a “critical moment,” developing strategies that work with academic programs, research and workforce development with the needs of developing industries.
Candidate profile
The committee’s ideal leader is described as someone who’s demonstrated leadership in a context of “commensurate scope and complexity” with proven success as a senior executive leader within a similar institution.
Other characteristics include showing strong leadership during periods of “significant upheaval” and changes and experience making “difficult, strategic decisions” for SU’s success in the future.
The section notes that the chancellor position holds “comprehensive oversight” of SU’s 13 schools and colleges, which include 23,000 students, 1,900 faculty and 6,000 total staff, according to the document. It states the university has an approximately $1.9 billion operating budget and $2.2 billion endowment.
The document states that a chancellor is responsible for managing all aspects of the university and a candidate should have skills in crisis management. They should have an ability to handle “complex financial, reputational, and operational situations” and adapt to political and societal changes.
According to the profile, a strong applicant would be committed to teaching, research, scholarship and innovation and have forward-thinking skills when approaching challenges.
Capabilities surrounding external engagement and brand management were also mentioned. The document says an ideal candidate would have experience “engaging with external constituencies” and have a comprehensive and collaborative method to elevate SU’s “brand and public perception.”
About the university
The document states the next chancellor will inherit a university in a “strong financial position” and that SU has the financial stability to continue its investment in faculty excellence, student financial aid, research infrastructure and campus facilities.
The document notes SU is “not immune” to the pressures facing higher education and the next chancellor will make decisions about resource allocation, endowment fundraising efforts, expanding financial aid and investing in programs that aid SU’s success.
The document also says that college athletics has experienced a dramatic change with the introduction of name, image and likeness rights. It says the next chancellor must be a strategic leader who understands the complexities of current day collegiate athletics and will preserve SU’s “competitive position.”
All information is available on the Chancellor Search website.
In the Tuesday email, search committee Co-Chairs Shelly Fisher and Lisa Fontenelli said the update is a culmination of an “intensive and deliberate engagement process.” They said hundreds of students, faculty, staff, alumni, volunteer leaders, community partners and elected officials participated in engagement sessions.
With the conclusion of the position description, the search committee will begin reviewing candidates.
The committee hopes to identify candidate finalists in January 2026 and select the next chancellor in the spring for the start of the 2026-27 academic year, the email states.
