Search for the Next Vice President for Higher Education (Memo U2526-029)

Dr Maria Luz C Vilches will end her term as Vice President for Higher Education (VPHE) on 31 May 2026. The Board of Trustees, through its Executive Committee, shall lead the search for next VPHE who will serve a 3-year term: SY 2026-2027 to SY 2028-2029.

I write the Higher Education community to help me identify possible members of the VPHE Search Committee and solicit feedback to aid the committee in its undertaking.

It would be good for each of the 9 Higher Education schools to go through a process of obtaining:

1. Nominations for Search Committee members and
2. Feedback along the following lines:
   1. What are the current needs of Ateneo de Manila's Higher Education in the next three years?
   2. What would be the qualities needed from a Vice President for Higher Education that can help with responding to these identified needs?
   3. Who might be possible candidates for the position of Vice President for Higher Education?

I would appreciate it if the nominations for the members of the Search Committee and feedback could be submitted to the Office of the President via email (president@ateneo.edu) by 24 September 2025.

The VPHE is the chief academic officer of the Higher Education cluster. S/he is responsible for all academic operations, specifically the activities related to curricula, teaching/learning, research, and internationalization. As head of the cluster, the VPHE ensures that all academic goals are met, and that the strategic priorities of the University are pursued.

I shall then appoint the Search Committee which will go through the next steps of the process:

1. Create a list of possible candidates for the VPHE
2. Interview candidates and key informants
3. Submit its recommendation to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees

We hope a decision can be made by mid-January 2026, in time for consideration at the Board of Trustees' February 2026 meeting.

I count on your active participation in this important search process.  Thank you.