Dear University of Houston Alumni:

As you may have heard, Chancellor Jay Gogue has accepted the offer to be Auburn University's next president. Chancellor Gogue is one of higher education's outstanding presidents, and it is not surprising that another university would approach him. Since Auburn University is his alma mater and near his hometown and family, I can understand Chancellor Gogue's decision to accept their offer to assume the presidency. Indeed, when your undergraduate alma mater knocks at your door and asks you to come home and lead them, it is virtually impossible not to open that door.

So as much as we regret losing Jay and Susie Gogue back to their home in Alabama, we are very proud of what we have accomplished with their help since they joined us in 2003. And we are looking forward to finding an outstanding leader to take us even closer to our goals of being a leading metropolitan university system and for UH to be recognized as a major national research university.

We have a strong team in place with the vice presidents and deans at UH and the presidents and their cabinets and deans at UH-Clear Lake, UH-Downtown and UH-Victoria. This is not a time for us to go into a holding pattern.

We have a dynamic strategic plan in place for the UH System that has been working for two years. We have an artful master plan for the University of Houston that promises to dramatically change its physical footprint and raise its profile and reputation to attract top undergraduate and graduate students. We have a number of mini-campaigns under way to support specific projects and buildings at UH as well as systemwide programs such as UH System at Sugar Land. All of these efforts and the many others occurring throughout our colleges and departments will continue to move forward during this time of change.

On behalf of the Board of Regents, I commit to every member of the University of Houston System and the University of Houston communities that we will work closely with you to identify and recruit an outstanding chancellor and president. At the upcoming regents meeting, April 3, the board will establish plans for a national search. We hope to get that under way as quickly as possible. We will announce interim leadership for the system and university once the transition timetable is laid out with Chancellor Gogue.

I will keep you informed of our progress on all of these areas and will directly involve representatives from all major constituencies: faculty, students, staff, administration, alumni and community, in our search for the next Chancellor of the University of Houston System and President of the University of Houston.

In the meantime, I know you will join my fellow regents and me in thanking Jay and Susie Gogue for their significant contributions to our institutions and wishing them the very best in their new roles.

Sincerely,

Leroy Hermes, Chair
UH System Board of Regents