Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez andthe Board of Trustees of the City University of New York (CUNY) invite nominations and applications for the presidency of Lehman College, CUNY’s only senior college in the Bronx. The successful candidate will serve as Lehman’s fifth president and succeed José Luis Cruz, who was appointed CUNY’s executive vice chancellor and university provost in 2019.

Lehman College is more than a school; it is a calling. With over 90% of its students Latinx or Black, many of them immigrant or first-generation, Lehman serves as an anchor institution in the Bronx and surrounding tri-state area providing its residents with the best in public urban higher education. Officially designated a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), Lehman provides undergraduate and graduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences and in professional fields to over 15,500 students in a dynamic research environment that empowers their academic, personal and professional development. Committed to social justice, community empowerment and global perspective, the college serves as an important engine for economic development, jobs creation, graduate study and professional leadership.

Lehman comprises five schools: School of Arts and Humanities; School of Natural and Social Sciences; School of Education; School of Health Sciences, Human Services and Nursing; and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Lehman offers 80 undergraduate majors and programs,three undergraduate certificates, 65 master’s degrees, 33 graduate certificates and one doctoral program in conjunction with the CUNY Graduate Center. Two professional doctorates in Nursing Practice (Family Nurse Practitioner and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner) will begin at the college in fall 2020. Many faculty hold joint appointments in their academic disciplines at the Graduate Center.

As of spring 2020, Lehman’s talented and award-winning instructional staff included 361 full-time faculty and 890 part-time teaching faculty. Faculty are not only teachers and scholars but also activists who understand the important role they play in their academic and professional collaborations with students and community members and organizations. Lehman boasts a vibrant and dynamic alumni population of more than 85,000, approximately 84% of whom reside and/or work in the Bronx or tristate area.

The college is a cultural center with three major arts spaces: the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, the Lehman College Art Gallery and Lehman Stages, which includes The Lovinger Theater, The Studio Theater, The Student Experimental Theater and the Dance Lab. Together, these venues provide performance, rehearsal and conference space for arts, civic and government programming from New York City, the U.S. and the world. More information about Lehman College can be found at https://www.lehman.cuny.edu/.

The next president will join a college eager for a new leader committed to securing the future of the institution. The president will be expected to advance a vision for the college that builds upon the strengths, plans and assets already in place, enhance the college's profile in CUNY and New York City, lead efforts to raise new resources and build partnerships with business, government and philanthropic organizations.

Procedure for Candidacy

WittKieffer is assisting The City University of New York in this recruitment. The presidential selection process is governed by CUNY and overseen by the Office of the Chancellor. The 12-member presidential search committee is appointed by the board chairman and includes a diverse mix of trustees and Lehman College stakeholders. The search committee is accountable for overseeing the recruitment of candidates, performing initial candidate screening and assessment, conducting interviews and ultimately recommending a short list of unranked finalists to the chancellor and board of trustees, who will ultimately make an appointment. All of the deliberations of the committee and the board are conducted with full confidentiality.

Review of candidates will begin in fall 2020 with first-round candidate interviews targeted for late fall 2020. For fullest consideration, applicant materials should be received by September 30, 2020. Application materials should include a letter of interest addressing how the candidate’s experiences match the position requirements and a current CV.

Application materials can be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal. Confidential nominations and inquiries can be directed to: Lucy Leske, Philip Tang and Christine J. Pendleton [email protected]

For more information

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category including sexual orientation or gender identity.EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.