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Search for Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer

September 10, 2021

To: All campus
Sept. 10, 2021

Dear Campus Community,

UC Merced has officially begun its search for a new Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer with the assistance of SP&A Executive Search.

This search is historic because it is the first new vice chancellor and administrative division since the early stages of our campus. The Vice Chancellor/Chief Diversity Officer will be a visionary leader who actively engages as a core member of the UC Merced leadership team. This thought partner will collaborate with a broad range of constituents on campus, systemwide, and in the community to build and maintain a supportive and authentically inclusive campus community.

They must have the ability to effectively set priorities with others; adeptly manage relevant metrics and assessments; exercise informed diversity and equity-minded judgment; achieve the university’s goals for equity, diversity and inclusivity; support its academic mission and principles of community; and remain aligned with our inaugural strategic plan.

We will introduce to the campus our interim vice chancellor and chief diversity officer in the next week.

A search advisory committee has been formed, with formal representation from the Academic Senate, Staff Assembly, ASUCM and GSA, who were each asked for nominees. I also have asked that a community member be added and the number of faculty members be increased for this important search. The membership of the committee is as follows:

  • Chair Teenie Matlock, Vice Provost for Academic Personnel
  • Mark Matsumoto, Dean, School of Engineering
  • Cynthia Cortez, Deputy Chief Diversity Officer
  • Charles Nies, Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs
  • Shenethia Manuel, Interim Human Resources Director
  • Zulema Valdez, Associate Vice Provost for Faculty
  • Chou Her, Chief of Police
  • Alvin Cha, President, Staff Assembly representative
  • Sean Malloy, Academic Senate Faculty representative
  • Laura Hamilton, Faculty
  • Tracey Osborne, Faculty
  • Gehad Elhanafy, Associated Students of UC Merced representative
  • Aislinn Beam, Graduate Student Association representative
  • Andre Griggs, community representative
  • Luanna Putney, Chief of Staff to the Chancellor (ex officio)

The advisory committee has begun meeting and welcomes your suggestions of candidates to be considered for this position. Feel free to share recommendations and suggestions with the committee.

Sincerely,

Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D.

Chancellor

Remarks and Addresses