Updates

April 3, 2023

Dear Andrews family,

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the campus for several days. From the moment I arrived on Monday, and throughout the visit, I received a very warm welcome from all those I met. Thank you!

During the visit, I had the specific opportunity to meet many on the leadership team.

As I talked with President Andrea Luxton, who has been leading the University with vision and compassion these past seven years, I recognized anew the congruence of our shared commitment that Andrews University is here to carry forward the mission God has entrusted to us. I am very grateful for the kind and welcoming way in which President Luxton has facilitated the preparation process for passing over responsibilities this July.

As I further interacted with leadership, I was impressed with the innovation and deep understanding of our provost, Christon Arthur, and I look forward to working closely together with him on initiatives that will continue to advance our University in positions of excellence and strength. My time with our vice president for Financial Administration, Chip Meekma, reaffirmed that the finances of our University are in capable hands, led by someone who has a strategic view to the future. Likewise, in my meetings with the other vice presidents and leaders of key areas across campus, it was clear to me that each person I talked with was mission-focused and deeply committed to the success of Andrews University.

While on campus, I also met individually with each of the college deans and then collectively in the Academic Deans’ Council. I was impressed with their talented leadership and commitment to their faculty, to creating a quality academic experience and to success for each one of their students. I also noted the strategic plans that each college is implementing to best fulfill the Andrews University Strategic Plan.

Clearly, Andrews University is a place where excellence is not just a goal but a way of life.

I also had the opportunity to take part in two wonderful town hall meetings, one with faculty and the other with staff. In both meetings, faculty and staff asked excellent questions. There were also a few questions that were difficult but that we will face and answer together in the months ahead! :-)

Throughout those meetings, I could sense the deep love and loyalty that each employee holds for our University. I greatly value each one of our competent and committed faculty and staff.

I also wanted to let you know that one of my most amazing experiences on campus was with students! Over two different meals, I was able to meet with a group of undergraduates and with a group of graduate students. The food was good! And the conversations we shared together, even better! Adding to all of this were the random encounters that I had with students across campus. Those encounters were truly the highlight of this first significant visit to campus!

My conclusion? I believe Andrews University is an incredible place! I’m pleased to see that Andrews University is thriving remarkably amidst a challenging higher education environment. Those inevitable challenges we talked about last week, along with the extraordinary opportunities ahead, will be what we all together continue to embrace.

With God leading the way, and as we build on the achievements of those who have gone before, we will together work hard to create a vibrant future, fulfilling God’s purpose in each one of our lives and together for Andrews University. I look forward to joining you on this journey!

May God especially bless as you wrap up this 2022–2023 school year.

Warm regards,

John Wesley Taylor V
President-elect

March 10, 2023

Dear Andrews University family,

I am deeply humbled and honored to write to you as the president-elect of this remarkable institution. I want to thank the Search Committee for its work and the Board of Trustees for entrusting me with the responsibility to lead Andrews University into the future. By God’s grace, I pledge to do all in my power to uphold the values and principles that Andrews University represents and to ensure that the University will thrive.

Andrews University is an institution with a rich history, a vibrant community and a bright future. It is a university that is stellar in so many ways, with so much being accomplished so well and within a faithful mission context. With you, I share a deep love and commitment to the institution. Three generations of our family, my father, my son, and I, are alumni of Andrews University and we are greatly blessed to have studied here. As your president, I pledge to work tirelessly to advance the mission of the University and provide excellent Christian education to students around the world.

As a Seventh-day Adventist university, we have the continued and unique opportunity and responsibility to carry out our pursuits on the foundation of faith, guided by our commitment to God and His Word and to the divine plan for education. In this process we will seek to integrate biblical values throughout University life as faithful witnesses to the truth and love of God. In this journey we will be mission-focused, keeping our eyes on the redemptive purpose of Adventist education, and endeavoring to develop the whole person through intellectual, spiritual and personal growth, educating for eternity.

Here at Andrews University, we will continue to prioritize academic excellence, providing our students with exceptional academic programs, research opportunities and real-world experiences that will prepare them to be leaders in their professions and communities. We will invest in our faculty and staff, ensuring they have the resources and support they need to excel in their teaching, research and service.

To do this, we will need to be nimble and flexible, able to adapt quickly to changes in the academic landscape and the needs of our students and constituency. We must embrace innovation and new approaches, while remaining steadfast to our core principles and the values that have made Andrews University what it is today.

One of my priorities will be to nurture the spiritual life of our University family. We will foster an environment that encourages spiritual growth, worship and service. We will support and uplift each other in our faith journey, glorifying God and valuing and respecting our faith heritage. Each time I am on campus, I am reminded anew of the amazing nature of our Andrews community and the vitality and rich culture embodied by our truly nationally and globally diverse student body, a microcosm of the family of God. We will seek to nurture a multicultural community that is warm and caring, fair and just, and that fosters a culture of connectedness and collaboration.

I believe that the role of the president is not just to lead but also to serve. I am committed to being accessible and approachable, and I pledge to listen to your concerns, engage in open dialogue, and work together to address the challenges that may face our community. We will seek to support and develop our programs, to attract and retain competent and committed faculty and staff, and to provide our students with the resources they need to succeed. We will deepen our partnerships with the community and strive to continue to be an agent for good in the world.

I salute and affirm the important work taking place throughout the University, and I look forward to the entire campus community coalescing around and rededicating itself to these ongoing efforts. I am committed to working closely with each one who makes up the Andrews University family—faculty, staff, students, alumni and other stakeholders—as we fulfill our mission to Seek Knowledge, Affirm Faith, and Change the World. Together we will draw on the strengths and legacy of “Our Dear A.U.,” the valued leadership provided by Andrea Luxton as president these past seven years, and the enduring contributions of all who have gone before to build a successful and thriving institution that is committed to serving God, our students and our community.

To each of you, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for your dedication and hard work. I am inspired by your passion for learning, your commitment to service and your unwavering faith in Christ. In coordination with the warm invitation extended by President Luxton, I look forward to visiting the campus before long to meet and converse with many of you.

As we move forward together, I am reminded of the words of Jeremiah 29:11: “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” With God’s guidance and blessing, we can together create a vibrant future for Andrews University.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your next president. I am eager to embark on this journey with you, and I look forward confidently to that which, by God’s grace, we will accomplish together.

With warm regards,

John Wesley Taylor V
President-elect

March 7, 2023

Andrews University Presidential Search: John Wesley Taylor V Voted as President-elect

Dear Andrews University community,

I wanted to take a moment to directly share news with you about our discussion and vote by an executive session of the Andrews University Board of Trustees during its meetings this morning.

Following a review of the two names submitted to the Board of Trustees by our Presidential Search Committee, that executive session voted John Wesley Taylor V to serve as the seventh president of Andrews University, beginning July 1, 2023.

I've talked directly with Dr. Taylor, and he has accepted the offer to serve as president of Andrews University.

The new Andrews University Board of Trustees will be confirmed and voted in a Corporation Membership Meeting this afternoon. That newly seated Andrews University Board of Trustees will meet for the first time on June 1, 2023, and will formally register the election of Dr. Taylor.

I invite you to take a few moments to read more about our new president-elect, John Wesley Taylor V, at this link.

Most importantly, I invite your prayers for our Andrews University campus and global community as Dr. Taylor prepares to carry on the important Legacy of Leadership that our colleague President Luxton has provided to our University over the last seven years.

Cordially,

Artur A. Stele, chair
Andrews University Presidential Search Committee
Andrews University Board of Trustees

February 22, 2023

Andrews University Presidential Search Committee
Andrews University Board of Trustees

February 9, 2023

Artur A. Stele, chair
Andrews University Presidential Search Committee
Andrews University Board of Trustees

December 19, 2022

 Update on the Andrews University Presidential Search Process

Dear Andrews University community,

Christmas and New Year’s prayers and greetings to our global Andrews University family!

I want to take this opportunity to keep you informed of the activities of the Andrews University Presidential Search Committee (AUPSC) as it supports the Board of Trustees in the selection of the next Andrews president, including the most recent meetings of the AUPSC on Nov. 22 and Dec. 15.

During its Nov. 22 meeting, the AUPSC reviewed the curated list from the October meeting and developed a further shortened list representing a wide variety of talent and strong racial, ethnic, gender and age diversity. I worked to directly contact each of those candidates, and several felt called to remain in their current positions to continue their work. Following those communications, our AUPSC met again last week on Dec. 15, reviewed the remaining names and approved a final short list of candidates. Pending availability of the candidates, we will plan off-site interviews for each of those candidates in late January 2023.

The committee then will reconvene on Feb. 21, 2023, to review and recommend at least two names to be considered by the University’s Board of Trustees during its March 7, 2023, meeting. The seventh president of Andrews University will then be selected at that Board meeting, which will offer some overlap and transitional time before President Luxton’s retirement in June.

I want to again thank you, and the Andrews University family, for your continued interest, insights and prayers as we prayerfully continue this important work to select and recruit the next president for Andrews University. I pray and wish for God’s blessings for you, your families and those you love this Christmas and holiday season.

Artur A. Stele, chair
Andrews University Presidential Search Committee
Andrews University Board of Trustees

October 17, 2022

 Update on the Andrews University Presidential Search Process

Dear Andrews University community,

I want to keep you informed of the activities of the Andrews University Presidential Search Committee (AUPSC) as it supports the Board of Trustees in the selection of the next Andrews president.

The first meeting of our AUPSC occurred on Sept. 7, 2022.

Activities at that September meeting included the following:

1. A review of the Committee’s roles and responsibilities
2. A draft of desired presidential attributes and qualifications
3. Development of a process to listen to stakeholder groups and solicit nominations
4. Initial consideration for candidate interview topics and processes

The second meeting of the Committee was held last week, on Oct. 13, 2022.

During that meeting, the Committee used extensive and valuable stakeholder input as tools to help the Committee refine and approve a final list of presidential candidate leadership attributes and qualifications. The Committee was excited to accept 148 nominations altogether (collectively known as the “long list”) from across all stakeholder groups. The “long list” includes a wide range of individuals representing diverse talent based on those individuals’ leadership experience, gender, race and age.

The Committee also began the very important and challenging work of sorting and prioritizing that “long list,” based on the desired leadership attributes and qualifications for the next Andrews University president.

As a result of that process, the Committee developed a first draft of a “medium list” of potential candidates. That “medium list” draft now includes twelve (12) names that seem to have attributes and qualifications that would make them strong candidates. That “medium list” also includes 51 names that may qualify as strong candidates after additional consideration.

Of the 148 nominations the Committee received, an additional 80 names were eliminated because they did not meet the desired attributes and qualifications. Additionally, five (5) members who also serve on the AUPSC withdrew their own names from consideration.

The AUPSC will meet again in late November to review the “medium list” of potential candidates and work to approve a “short list.”

A “final” candidate list will be approved in mid-December in anticipation of candidate interviews in January 2023. A February meeting of the Committee will then be used to prepare for the AUPSC’s recommendations to the Andrews University Board of Trustees meeting on March 7.

I wanted to thank you, and the Andrews University family, for your continued interest, insights and prayers as we continue our work to select and recruit the next president for Andrews University.

Artur A. Stele, chair
Andrews University Presidential Search Committee
Andrews University Board of Trustees

September 1, 2022

Update on the Andrews University Presidential Search Process

Dear Andrews University community:

I want to share a brief report on what has happened since President Andrea Luxton’s announcement in our May 2022 University Board of Trustees meeting that she plans to retire in June 2023.

Our first task as a Board of Trustees was to form a search committee reflecting the governing documents of the University that would begin the important and careful work of choosing a successor. That process began during the Aug. 1, 2022, meeting of the Board of Trustees, when the 13-member Search Committee was named.

As the Committee begins its important work, I, along with the University Board of Trustees, want to formally celebrate and honor the remarkable leadership that President Luxton has provided our church’s flagship university, helping the Andrews University community to thrive even amidst some significant and world-changing challenges.

As we prepared to create the Search Committee, we asked various groups to submit names of individuals they would like to see on the Search Committee. These groups included the faculty, staff, students, alumni and, of course, the Board of Trustees.

Since the Search Committee was formed I, along with Ken Denslow, vice chair of the Search Committee, also met formally with Andrews University’s President’s Cabinet (a group which includes University VPs, the associate VP for Human Resources, as well as the Faculty and Staff Senate chairs, the University chaplain and Pioneer Memorial Church pastor) and its academic deans on Aug. 23 to seek feedback and recommendations.

The Andrews University Presidential Search Committee (AUPSC) will meet formally and for the first time on Sept. 7, 2022.

The members of the Search Committee are as follows:

Board:

• Artur Stele, chair (chair, Board of Trustees)
• Ken Denslow, vice chair (president, Lake Union Conference, and vice chair, Board of Trustees)
• Alexander Bryant (president, North American Division)
• Lisa Beardsley-Hardy (director, Department of Education, General Conference)
• Loren Hamel (non-church employed physician, chief strategy officer of Spectrum Health System and president of Spectrum Health Lakeland)
• Vonda Douglas-Nikitin (non-church employed medical director, associate professor of pathology, Beaumont Health System)

Faculty:

• L. Monique Pittman (College of Arts & Sciences)
• Liz Muhlenbeck (College of Professions)
• Heather Ferguson (College of Health & Human Services)
• Roy Gaton (Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary)

Staff:

• Lorena Bidwell (Center for Distance Learning & Instructional Technology)

Student:

• David Springer (MDiv student, president of the Andrews University Graduate Student Association)

Alumni:

• Bradley Sheppard (president, Andrews University Alumni Association; assistant superintendent of instruction at Elkhart Community Schools)

This is a total of 13 members.

Again, the Search Committee will meet for the first time on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, and its first organizational meeting will confirm plans for the process we will follow.

There is also a small group working on criteria for a new president. This preparation includes developing interview questions and an evaluation instrument that the Search Committee will use after the interviews, which will be analyzed statistically. Finally, we assigned each of the Committee members to consult with the groups they represent to receive input for the Search Committee regarding characteristics needed in a president, names and other suggestions.

The dates of future Search Committee meetings, subject to change if necessary, will be Oct. 13, Nov. 21 and Dec. 15, 2022.

Interviews of select presidential candidates will take place between Jan. 22–24, 2023.

In a final meeting of the AUPSC on Feb. 21, 2023, members will complete a final review of the candidates and recommend at least two names to be considered by the Board of Trustees during its March 7, 2023, meeting.

The seventh president of Andrews University will be selected at that Board meeting, which will offer some overlap and transitional time before President Luxton’s retirement in June.

We will use a Presidential Search website where we will post appropriate information, such as is being shared in this letter, for the campus and public to view. There is also an email address where anyone can send a message to the Search Committee with suggestions of names or characteristics of a president or needs of the University, etc. That email address is presidentsearch@andrews.edu.

Please avoid trying to learn detailed information from our Search Committee members. As was the case with our last presidential search, which helped identify President Luxton as our current president, the Search Committee voted a formal action that “the Chairperson of the Committee is the sole authorized spokesperson for the Committee.”

However, please feel free to give information and recommendations to the members of the Search Committee. In fact, the task between now and our meetings in the latter part of 2022 is to gather criteria and names to make a long list that we will begin screening at our Committee meetings.

As we begin our work together, we wish to continually seek the guidance and leading of the Lord in our work.

The individual we seek to carefully—and prayerfully—choose is not yet known to us.

However, we trust that the individual chosen will reflect the thoughtful and careful work of our Search Committee as it is guided by input from our Andrews University community at large and, ultimately, as our Committee seeks and receives the influence and guidance of God in this important and essential work.

In closing, we want to invite your immediate participation as well.

On the Andrews University campus, there will be a time set aside for our Andrews University community to pray for this work that our Search Committee is preparing to do. If you attended the University Convocation on our Berrien Springs campus, you will have also heard about this season of prayer — and I invite you to join with our global Andrews University family in praying for God's blessings on this search process.

We cherish your involvement and interest for that season of prayer. But we also urge, and welcome, your prayers and input in the weeks and months to come for the ongoing work our Search Committee will do together as we seek to carefully identify and select the next leader of Andrews University.

Artur A. Stele, chair
Andrews University Presidential Search Committee
Andrews University Board of Trustees