March 2, 2021

 

 

Dear Members of the UHS Community,

Over the past two months, we have gathered your input for use in the search for the next Head of SF University High School. During this time, the Spencer Stuart executive search team held individual and small group meetings with members of the administration as well as group Zoom calls with faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents and caregivers. The faculty representatives from the Search Committee held a Zoom session for the faculty and the Co-Chairs held two Zoom sessions for parents and caregivers. Many of you submitted input via the Spencer Stuart email address created for the search. In addition, over 200 members of the UHS community participated in the Community Survey. These efforts were designed to provide the entire community with an opportunity to share thoughts regarding UHS, the attributes you hope to see in the next Head of School, and the opportunities and challenges that await our next Head of School. We received very helpful feedback throughout this process, and we thank each of you for taking the time to provide your input on the Head of School search.
 
Here are a few of the key themes we heard regarding the attributes and experiences that the community is seeking in the next Head of School:

• A Transformative Academic Leader - Support an academically challenging program while promoting a sense of wellness; Encourage the faculty to think expansively about curriculum, pedagogy, and the use of technology; Have a vision for what education could look like for the next decade and the courage to lead UHS there
  
  
• Student Centric Mindset - Engage effectively and forge strong, authentic bonds with smart, curious young adults; Deep commitment to helping students identify their passion and individual paths
  
  
• Culture and Community Builder – Embrace the school’s culture and community; Build authentic relationships; Manage and honor different and opposing views 
  
  
• Committed and Proactive Leader of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging - Lead the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives and make an impact on the organizational culture, practices, and strategies
  
  
• Collaborative and Inspiring Manager – Empower and inspire a talented, diverse team to work collaboratively, listen well, and partner to solve problems and chart an ambitious, sustainable path forward
  
  
• Strategic Leader with Strong Financial and Operational Acumen - Be a strategic and effective steward of the school’s financial, physical, and human assets; Secure a fiscally sustainable institution; Bring our new building to fruition with all of the programmatic and fundraising aspects associated with the project
  
  
• Effective Fundraiser - Foster a culture of philanthropic support from alumni, parents and caregivers, communicating the value of UHS in a compelling way and driving success in both annual and capital giving
  
  

The comments and feedback we received were critical to developing a Position Specification for our next Head of School. We are pleased to share the final Position Specification with you today here. This document will also be posted on the Head of School Search webpage. The Spencer Stuart team and the Head of School Search Committee are moving forward with identifying candidates and will use the Position Specification to promote this special opportunity. Specific candidate suggestions made during the community feedback sessions or directly through email or the survey have also been shared with Spencer Stuart. 
 
Moving forward, we continue to welcome your nominations and comments at UHShead@spencerstuart.com. We look forward to providing you further updates.

 

Thank you for your continued support.

 

Raj Atluru and Kay Yun 
Search Committee Co-Chairs