The University of Oregon is conducting a national search for a permanent vice president for student life, creating a search committee to assess candidates and make recommendations to UO President John Karl Scholz for the final decision. Applications are open until March 28.
The vice president runs the Division of Student Life, which oversees activities and services at the Erb Memorial Union, the University Career Center and the Department of Physical Education and Recreation. The Division of Student Life also includes the Office of the Dean of Students.
The vice president manages the division’s operating budget of $45 million.
President Scholz announced the search on Oct. 2, 2023. Kris Winters has been serving as the interim vice president since July 2022. 
The job posting states that the vice president is responsible for implementing a strategy for the Division of Student Life that aligns with the institution’s strategic plan. According to the Office of the Provost, UO’s five-year strategic framework includes enhancing education, promoting access and retention, retaining diverse and high-quality students and faculty and enhancing infrastructure to ensure academic success.
The vice president for student life is the liaison between administration and UO’s student government — the Associated Students of the University of Oregon.
The search committee includes a range of faculty, including the Dean of Students, vice president of UO’s human resources department and the associate director of physical education and the recreation center.
Finn Jacobson, the ASUO vice president who took office in May 2023, is the only student representative on the committee. To Jacobson, the most important aspect of a candidate is that they understand the student perspective of life on campus.
“If that person doesn’t have the ability to authentically understand what it means to be a student at the University of Oregon today, they are not the right person for this role,” he said. “They need to be able to take that student experience and translate it to their colleagues, many of whom have not been in higher education or education for more than 30 years.”
Jacobson said he hopes to promote student feedback on the search during spring term by inviting students to his office hours and to ASUO’s weekly meetings to discuss what students would like to see for their vice president for student life.
“I prioritize communication,” Jacobson said. “The first paramount, I would say, is the ability to communicate and translate experiences across various different perspectives.”
As one of President Scholz’s primary advisors, Jacobson said it is important for candidates to have innovative ideas for structures the university should adopt in the future to “make sure we’re serving students best.”
The requirements for candidates is a Master’s degree, seven years of leadership experience and five years’ experience with budgeting. 
In a statement to the Daily Emerald, UO communications said that the finalists will host open Q and A sessions on campus where all faculty and students can ask questions and provide feedback. The dates are still being finalized.
After hosting final candidates on campus, the search committee will make its final recommendations to President Scholz who will make the final decision.