As the University of North Carolina Wilmington searches for a new leader, a recently formed chancellor search committee is asking the community to participate in the selection process. 

Chancellor Jose Sartarelli will step down in June. After six years leading the university, Sartarelli announced his plans to retire in September. 

An 18-member search committee was named last month, made up of sitting Board of Trustee members, community leaders, alumni and business professionals. The search committee met for the first time on Nov. 1 and held its first staff forum on Nov. 10. 

During the first meeting, UNC System President Peter Hans issued his charge to the committee. “The next chancellor should have unwavering integrity, commitment to public higher education, and a deep appreciation for university life and culture,” Hans directed. 

The committee is collaborating with the UNCW Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Student Government Association and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce on the upcoming open forums. Feedback gathered through this process will assist the search committee in drafting a leadership statement that will be used when recruiting eligible candidates. 

The search for Sartarelli’s replacement marks the first effort under a new UNC System policy that, according to the News & Observer, permits Hans to insert two finalists into the chancellor search process before selecting a finalist from that list.

Hans asked the UNCW chancellor search committee to submit at least three finalists to the UNCW Board of Trustees, and in turn, that trustees submit at least three selections to Hans. From there Hans will select one finalist from the pool of the trustees’ submissions and his own nominees, which the UNC Board of Governors must ultimately approve. 

The system president hopes a final candidate will be considered by the UNC Board of Governors in April or May.

On Wednesday, the committee, students, faculty, staff and the public are invited to participate in a virtual forum beginning at 6 p.m. Two forums are planned for Friday at Lumina Theater: First, students are invited to share their input from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.; later that afternoon, faculty will have a chance to weigh in between 3:15 and 4:45 p.m.

Next month, the committee will host at a virtual forum, with a date and time still yet-to-be announced. An alumni and community forum is planned at the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce for Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. Finally a staff forum will take place as part of the Staff Senate meeting 2-4 p.m. Dec. 8.