The University of California Board of Regents on March 1 announced the first steps in the international search for a successor to President Mark G. Yudof, who will end his tenure as the UC systemwide leader in August.

In keeping with the regents’ bylaws and policies, Chairman Sherry Lansing has appointed a Special Committee to Consider the Selection of a President to develop a plan to recruit, screen and interview applicants. She will serve as chair of the committee, which includes Gov. Jerry Brown as an ex officio member.

The appointed members of the committee are: Regent Bruce Varner, who will serve as the vice chair of the committee; Regent Richard Blum; Regent Russell S. Gould; Regent Bonnie Reiss; Regent George Keiffer; Regent Fred Ruiz; Student Regent Jonathan Stein; and Alumni Regent Ronald Rubenstein.

An Academic Advisory Committee has been appointed to assist the regents’ Special Committee. Student, staff and alumni advisory committees will join the Academic Advisory Committee in making recommendations on selection criteria.

The Special Committee will be assisted in identifying candidates by Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm that has completed numerous searches for academic and leadership positions at UC campuses and elsewhere in recent years.

At the committee’s first meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 26, the appointed members discussed the search process with representatives of Isaacson, Miller.

In keeping with the regents’ policy, the committee will consult broadly with constituent groups of the university from across all 10 campuses, as well as the faculty, student, staff and alumni advisory committees.

The committee is expected to make a recommendation to the regents at the board’s July meeting.

Widely recognized as the best public research university system in the world, the University of California includes more than 240,000 students, 190,000 faculty and staff and a $24 billion systemwide annual budget. It comprises 10 campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara, and is involved in managing the three U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories at Berkeley, Livermore and Los Alamos. UC campuses offer programs in more than 150 disciplines – many of which are ranked among the top 10 nationally. UC’s five medical centers support the clinical teaching programs of the university’s medical and health sciences schools and handle more than 3.9 million patient visits each year. The UC system also includes a Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

>>More information about the presidential search, including members of the advisory committees

>>Regents’ policy on appointment of the president and formation of constituent advisory committees

>>President Yudof’s announcement

>>More information about President Yudof

>>University of California website