"President"

Seattle University

President

The Board of Trustees of Seattle University has launched a search for its twenty-third President. Building on an illustrious 135-year history, the President will lead a mission-driven institution rooted in Jesuit, Catholic values with a proud liberal arts tradition and a clear vision for its future. The President serves as the university’s chief executive officer, chief academic leader and principal representative and will steward the mission while advancing its academic distinction, financial sustainability and societal impact.

Seattle University enters this presidential transition at a moment of significant opportunity and change. Building on a strong foundation, recent institutional expansion and a clear sense of mission, the university is navigating a shifting higher education landscape shaped by enrollment dynamics, financial pressures and evolving public expectations. The next President will have the opportunity to build on this momentum and shape its future with clarity, conviction and imagination.

Founded in 1891, Seattle University is dedicated to educating the whole person, to professional formation and to empowering leaders for a just and humane world. The university enrolls approximately 7,300 students, including more than 4,300 undergraduate students and nearly 3,000 graduate and professional students across master’s, doctoral and law programs. The university offers a wide range of undergraduate majors and graduate, doctoral and professional programs across seven schools and colleges, including business, law, nursing, education, science, engineering, the arts and humanities. Faculty members are teacher-scholars who share a commitment to excellence in teaching, scholarly activity, professional development, service and institution building.

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the President oversees all aspects of leading the university, including strategic planning, administration, academics, fundraising, engagement with the internal and external community, inspiring the campus community and financial sustainability.

Seattle University seeks a mission-rooted, values-driven leader who is not only fluent in Jesuit values but lives them by demonstrating a genuine commitment to equity, service and community impact. The President will lead with an understanding of the purpose of Jesuit, Catholic higher education and excellence in teaching, scholarship and student engagement. Accordingly, Seattle University seeks a President who is Roman Catholic and aligned with the university’s values, goals and aspirations. Candidates should hold the credentials needed to inspire an academic community, ideally including a terminal degree and an appreciation of classroom teaching and the tenure process.

Nominations, inquiries, and expressions of interest should be sent to: seattleuniversity@russellreynolds.com.