Susan Herbst, president of the University of Connecticut. Photo courtesy of UConn.

Without a doubt, the job of recruiting a college president is one of the most important and difficult tasks for a board of trustees. The board of trustees at the University of Connecticut has embarked on this mission.

The reputation of any school in selecting a president is on the line. While a new president will impose his or her own agenda on the way the college interfaces with its constituencies, she must be able to navigate among a diverse group of constituents, including the board of trustees, students, teachers, parents, alumni, donors, government entities and the local community. Effectively co-existing with each of these parties requires a very special skill set.

The obvious qualities to possess include: strong leadership skills; an ability to bring together opposing camps and deliver compromises that all can accept; outstanding academic credentials; support for the educators at the school, an understanding of the importance of tenure, publishing and an ability to measure academic excellence; actual teaching experience; and an understanding of the importance of a broad, liberal arts education.

There should be a business acumen to ensure that the university operates efficiently, generates strategic plans, hires and maintains a large staff, raises money, etc. within the constraints of economic reality and budgetary restrictions; being in tune with the student community, which could comprise thousands of diverse individuals from all over America and around the world; the ability to exhibit tolerance and empathy on many different issues, even if she personally disapproves of a particular stance.

UConn's new leader should have knowledge of governmental practices and procedures so as to be sensitive to any threats to federal support of academic programs and research; impeccable ethics; appreciating what it means to be a parent even if she has never been one, particularly as the person who will have responsibility for several thousand young people; and a keen understanding of the character of the school and its community because she is only a caretaker who inherits a culture.

Susan Herbst is stepping down this spring after eight years as president of UConn, having done a remarkable job. She led the university during a period of transformative change during which the school underwent expansive construction, climbed in the national rankings and attracted higher-caliber students. The Huskies won nine national championships during Herbst's time as president—two in men's basketball, three in field hockey and four in women's basketball, which came in consecutive seasons from 2013-2016.

Unfortunately, Herbst's tenure was marked by constant battles with state legislators over funding for the university. Since fiscal year 2010, UConn and UConn Health have experienced $164 million in state cuts, rescissions and fund sweeps as the state has grappled with budget deficits. One challenge for Herbst's successor, as it was for her, will be to attract more partnership opportunities that will come with significant funding to support the health center.

Recruitment of star faculty from other schools must continue and student mental health should remain a priority, along with added attention to education and training regarding alleged sexual misconduct on campus.

Gov. Ned Lamont has a unique opportunity to help mitigate the state's fiscal challenges, which will certainly inure to the benefit of the next administration. But the priorities of building a school where science reigns and the arts can flourish is more than about money. It's about vision and imagination. The job of a university leader is enormous, and we wish the board of trustees the best as it finds UConn's next president.