Dr. Justin Schwartz is the sole finalist for CU Boulder’s new chancellor. (Courtesy of Pennsylvania State University)
On July 1, the University of Colorado Boulder will have a new chancellor for the first time in 15 years.
The university’s Board of Regents unanimously voted to approve a three year contract for Justin Schwartz on Friday. He’ll receive more than a million dollars in salary and benefits in his first year as chancellor.
Schwartz, who most recently was provost at Pennsylvania State University, was announced as CU System President Todd Saliman’s sole finalist for the top campus job on April 2. He will replace longtime Chancellor Philip DiStefano, who announced he was stepping down from the role last fall.
Schwartz appeared on campus for a series of open forums soon after the announcement, where he promoted his vision of a CU Boulder campus that helped humanity “survive and thrive.”
In an email sent to the CU Boulder community on Friday, Saliman said he received “overwhelmingly positive feedback about Justin following his campus visit and open forums.”
Students, faculty and staff asked Schwartz about his position on diversity, sustainability and student success at the forums.
“After reflecting on this input and considering the exceptional attributes Justin brings, I am even more convinced he is the right person for the job,” Saliman said in the statement.
According to the Board of Regents’s employment memorandum, Schwartz will be paid a base salary of $829,000. He’ll also receive $15,000 per year in vehicle allowance and a one-time payment of $50,000 as a moving allowance.
In addition to those benefits, the regents also granted Schwartz $125,000 as a sign-on bonus, to compensate him “for a retention award that he would have received if he remained at Penn State.”
The incoming chancellor will be eligible to receive an additional $150,000 after serving out the three years of his current appointment. He’s also been recommended for a faculty appointment in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
In a message to the university community on Monday, Schwartz thanked the regents, the search committee and Saliman for their trust.
“Throughout the search process and especially during my public visit a few weeks ago, it was clear just how much CU means to so many,” Schwartz said in his message. “And I am eager to begin working with all of you at this amazing university.”
Contact CU Independent Special Investigations Editor Henry Larson at henry.larson@colorado.edu.
