President-elect Drew G. Faust announced her intention to create the position of executive vice president in a letter to the University's deans, vice presidents, governing board members, and other administrators on Monday.

Dear Colleagues:

These past few weeks I have spoken with a number of colleagues about a broad array of opportunities facing the University. One recurrent theme has been the observation that we require increasingly sophisticated and effective administrative capacity, commensurate with the University's growing scale, complexity, and ambition. I have been encouraged to consider, in particular, how the central administration can enhance its responsiveness to the needs of our faculties, schools, and other units, and achieve a more integrated approach to the challenges presented by new ventures in science, Allston, and other areas that will call for more collaboration across traditional boundaries.

With that in mind, I have decided to launch a search for an executive vice president of the University. Having consulted with the members of the Corporation and others, and having surveyed the experience of numerous peer institutions, most of which include a position of this type, I believe that introducing an executive vice president can help us achieve greater coherence and capacity within the central administration, as well as greater clarity and effectiveness in the center's administrative dealings across the University.

As I now envision the role, the executive vice president will oversee the financial, administrative, and human resources functions of the central administration and lead the development of administrative capacity in new areas that cross school boundaries or traditional administrative units. The vice presidents for alumni affairs and development, for government, community, and public affairs, and for policy, as well as the vice president and general counsel, will continue to report directly to the president.

I plan to begin the search process immediately with the goal of identifying and recruiting the executive vice president as soon as possible. I have asked a small informal advisory group to help me think through the structure and function of the position, the qualities we should seek in filling the role, and the best way to reach out to key internal and external constituencies. The group includes two of our deans – Elena Kagan, Dean of the Law School, and Jay Light, Dean of the Business School; several senior administrators – Evelynn Hammonds, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity, Chris Gordon, Chief Operating Officer of the Allston Development Group, Clayton Spencer, Vice President for Policy, and Kasia Lundy, Chief of Staff to the President and Provost; and two other advisors – Ann Berman, former Vice President of Finance, and William Lee, co-managing partner of WilmerHale and vice chair of the Board of Overseers executive committee.

We have set up a dedicated search email account, evp_search@harvard.edu, so that you can write to me to share your views about organizational issues, the qualities we should seek in the executive vice president, and individuals we should consider. All communications will be treated confidentially.

I look forward to hearing your comments and insights.

With all best wishes,

Drew Faust