The first meeting to establish what qualities are needed in the next President to replace President Zingg at Chico State took place Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ve had a revolving door of upper level administration on this campus,” Maris Thompson, School of Education said. “In the past five years alone we’ve seen four provosts and we’ve had many deans come and go.”

This is a closed presidential search, meaning only a select few will be making the decisions as to who the candidates will be.

When asked what qualities the committee should be looking for in a candidate, these were the most prominent:

· Shared governance

· A background as a teacher and a scholar themselves

· Adaptability and growth

· Someone who values and embraces diversity with a proven track record

· The importance of sustainability

· High morale

· Someone who plans on leveling university hierarchy

· Strives to create a greater diversity on the advising committee

· Will incorporate salary equity

“We have a deeply flawed system of leadership on this campus, and we need somebody who is aware of those concerns,” Thompson said. “And addresses them by working collaboratively with staff, students, faculty or campus partners and comes with some very concrete ideas and who’s interested in really building the kind of culture where leadership wants to stay.”

Carly Plemons can be reached at [email protected] or @plemnz on Twitter.