Today the University's Special Committee on the Nomination of a President will host the first two in a series of six forums designed to give students the opportunity to comment about the selection process for President John T. Casteen III's successor. In an email to students committee chairman John O. Wynne offered three particular areas of consideration for those interested in sharing feedback: the opportunities and challenges the University will confront in the coming decade, the qualifications and leadership characteristics the next president should exemplify and the specific considerations the committee should take into account when evaluating a candidate.\nPresident Casteen's 19-year tenure has left an enduring legacy. In no arena is that more self-evident than in fundraising and financial independence. Economic conditions, particularly in this latest recession, have caused state funding for public education to dry up significantly. Bob Sweeney, development and public affairs senior vice president, lauded Casteen's accomplishments in a prior email to The Cavalier Daily, noting, "His legacy in this area is truly remarkable." Sweeney cited the dramatic increase in per annum fundraising that has occurred under Casteen. During his tenure, the University's fundraising has increased from roughly $50 million per year to in excess of $300 million in recent years.\nThe committee must seek a candidate who will aggressively pursue continued strength in this area; a keen recognition of financial imperatives cannot be overlooked. The next president should forge ahead with Casteen's work of promoting economic self-sufficiency to protect the University from dwindling state resources and capricious politicians. All of this must be carried out without sacrificing the affordability in tuition that has been a hallmark of the Casteen administration. AccessUVa, for example, has limited student debt from loans while also guaranteeing to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need. Tuition hikes, particularly during lean times in the economy, have the potential to diminish access to the University and compromise one of its essential goals.\nIt would be a mistake though to conclude that these pecuniary objectives are extractable from the lasting goal of innovation. Having the appropriate resources is the first step in positioning the University to capture the energy and promise of research. Our eighth president should be a visionary who is up to the challenge of providing dynamic leadership through both fruitful and more barren times.\nThe selection committee has an enormous task before it. If any one thing is certain in this process, it is that John Casteen's shoes are big ones to fill.
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