As Penn begins the search for its next president, every member of our community has a part to play. This survey is your opportunity to shape the search. Your responses will inform the Consultative Committee convened by the Board of Trustees, whose work will help define the type of leader the University seeks.
Penn’s next president will build on an extraordinary platform: one of the world’s great universities, with genuine momentum, exceptional faculty, a preeminent healthcare enterprise, a remarkable research footprint across disciplines, tens of thousands of brilliant students, deep engagement with Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, and much more.
At the same time, the landscape is shifting. The role of universities in public life, the economics of research, the arrival of AI, and the expectations placed on institutional leaders are all changing at once. This is a consequential time to lead Penn and recruiting the right leader for Penn’s next chapter is the Board’s most important task.
Penn’s founder, Ben Franklin, wrote that “energy and persistence conquer all things.” The Board shares that conviction and holds an abiding belief in Penn’s potential. We want a president who sees that potential as clearly as we do, and who has the skill and the will to pursue it alongside the Penn community.
The survey will take about ten to fifteen minutes. Individual responses are anonymous and will be aggregated by Spencer Stuart, the firm supporting the search. The most useful input is specific and direct. We want to hear what you actually think.
Ongoing updates will be provided on the search webpage.
With gratitude,
Ramanan Raghavendran
Chair, Board of Trustees
University of Pennsylvania