After four years, chairman of the executive board Gerard Meijer goes back to his true love, Berlin. Radboud University has to look for a new chairman. The six steps to take in the search for the new man or woman, who hopefully will rule the university from 1 January.

# The board installs a nomination committee

The supervisory body at Radboud University will install a nomination committee during its next meeting, upcoming Friday. This committee will consist of one or more members of the body itself, a member of the executive board, a dean and finally the chairmen of the works council and the student council. We will not now the names and statuses of the members, and usually this information stays secret.

# The committee composes a profile

The first job the committee has, is composing a profile: which type of chairman does the university need right now? The concept of this profile will be submitted to the foundation board, the executive board and the employee and student participation. When the profile is approved, the true work begins: finding a candidate that fits the profile.

# A recruitment agency helps finding a candidate

The search for a candidate might be placed in the hands of an external agency, with the choice between exclusively searching in networks or publishing an advertisement to announce the recruitment. The latter is common and seems appropriate now, because the new chairman will be the first to fall under the new pay regime. The grossly 140.000 euro is not a salary that top candidates will stand in line for.

# The committee will propose a candidate

The idea is that before 1 January, when Meijer leaves office, the nomination committee will propose a candidate for the foundation board. After its approval, the ‘intended decision for nomination’ will go into the carousel: what do the other two members of the executive board think of the man or woman who is proposed? What is the reaction of the deans? And the works council and the student council? When everybody is on board, the nomination can be made public and we know who will be the chairman for the next four years. Or eight, when everybody grants them an extension.

# The new chairman takes office

If everything goes well and a candidate is found in time, the new chairman takes office on 1 January. It is not likely that the new candidate can start right away. Considering the conventional notice periods, 1 March is a reasonable guess. The two current board members Han van Krieken and Wilma de Koning will have to manage together until then.

# Maybe a woman?

Are we following Tilburg’s lead, where in both cases Yvonne van Rooij was chairman? Or Amsterdam, where Geert ten Dam (a woman with a man’s name) is ruling the university? In Maastricht, the 39-year-old (!) Rianne Letschert is rector. Of course, Nijmegen has Wilma de Koning in the top as vice chairman, and the question is whether the nomination committee prefers a woman in its search. What matters is the right candidate, will be the mantra again. But Vox is benevolent when it comes to women’s issues: who knows of a suitable female candidate, please stand up!