1. WHEREAS, the office of the president has far-reaching and long term impacts on the overall direction of the entire university; and,

2. WHEREAS, the students, faculty, and staff who make up this university should have a say in the process of selecting the next president of the University of Maryland, College Park; and,

3. WHEREAS, more than 60 faculty members signed a letter addressed to the Presidential Search Committee which proposes that certain criteria “should be emphasized in the consideration of potential candidates for president of our university”; and,

4. WHEREAS, this letter emphasizes the following: “The new leader should be a proven intellectual leader who fosters real consensus among disparate entities, is transparent in administration and unafraid of dissent, and who:

•embraces the contributions of all disciplines and recognizes the importance of the liberal arts, the humanities, and humanistic social sciences as well as the sciences and engineering;

•recognizes that diversity is constitutive of academic excellence;

•upholds and engages faculty governance; and

•respects and promotes the University of Maryland as the state’s flagship institution”; and,

5. WHEREAS, these criteria is compatible with students’ interests; and,

6. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Student Government Association endorses the letter referred to above and,

7. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Student Government Association also believes the new President should uphold and engage with student governance; and,

8. BE IF FURTHER RESOLVED that the Student Government Association urges the Presidential Search Committee to emphasize this as a criterion.