Fifty-five students submitted applications by last night's deadline for two undergraduate spots on the Campus Advisory Committee. The committee will advise the Presidential Search Committee of the Corporation, the University's highest governing body, on selecting the University's 19th president.
Three undergraduate students — two of whom will be selected from this application process and one of whom will be chosen from the Undergraduate Council of Students Executive Board — will serve alongside faculty, graduate and medical students and staff.
The application, which asked students to write a 500-word essay describing what they want to see in the next University president, was emailed to the entire undergraduate body Monday morning by Ralanda Nelson '12, president of UCS.
Students were also required to write shorter responses explaining how they exhibited a set of six characteristics — including the ability "to reach out to peers and garner their opinions" and to "represent the diversity of the community in as many aspects as possible" — that had been selected by Chancellor Thomas Tisch '76.
UCS will read all completed applications this weekend, and candidates will be notified about whether they have been invited for an interview by Oct. 10, Nelson said. Students will be evaluated on the six qualities outlined in the application, and final decisions will be made by Oct. 20.
Nelson said she was "grateful" and "humbled" that so many students had prioritized the opportunity to weigh in on the presidential search process despite being a busy midterm week.
Katherine Haves '12 said she applied for the position because the University has played an important role in her life. The next president should be "an absolute trailblazer" who will "try to accomplish goals that have never been set," Haves said.
President Ruth Simmons' successor will be named by this spring, according to Tisch.
