The Board of Trustees announced that Joel Seligman, Dean of the Washington University School of Law, would become the 10th president of the university. Seligman is an impressive figure, having co-authored the seminal work in securities regulation. The president-elect has the right vision for UR and is well-equipped to succeed in the many important challenges that being president of this university will have for him.
The new president’s top priority will be raising the endowment and funds for research. Seligman acknowledges this as a major goal and will wage a campaign to raise money for the school.
The new president must improve UR’s visibility nationally, and Seligman has demonstrated the ability to lead this effort. With Seligman at the helm, the Washington University School of Law climbed in the U.S. News and World Report rankings each year during his six-year tenure. The school moved into the top 20 of the rankings for the first time ever this year, after ranking in the mid-30s before he arrived. The school’s reputational ranking also improved each year with Seligman. Hopefully, that track record will continue at UR.
Seligman will be a compelling presence in the greater Rochester community on behalf of the university. He has already met with Rochester political and business leaders seven months before taking the office of the president. In his stint at Washington University, Seligman gained a reputation as a tireless worker – something that the new president will no doubt have to be in order to achieve the goals in front of him.
Seligman also has a reputation as a personable administrator. Hopefully, he will be an accessible president whose presence will be noticed on campus.
The university has rightfully made a commitment to diversity, and Seligman has pledged to adopt that commitment. He believes that diversity lies at the core of a world-class education, and will support the university’s efforts to become a more diverse, dynamic place to teach, study and live.
The presidents of Columbia University, Cornell University and New York University describe Seligman as an outstanding scholar and congratulate UR on a great choice. Seligman has indeed presented himself as a great candidate to lead the university, and if his potential becomes reality, then UR’s best years are ahead.
