For the first time in its history, the university will not be led by a Vincentian priest.

A source close to the presidential search process confirmed to The DePaulia that the next president of the university will be a lay president and not a part of the Vincentian order. The president will be announced to the DePaul community on Thursday.

The new president will be the 12th president of the university, following Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M. who announced he would resign as president of DePaul effective summer of 2017. The new president is set to begin their new role in July.

DePaul Trustee and Vice Chair Jim Ryan as well as a search committee comprised of board representatives, university administration, faculty and students led the search for a new president, according to a university press release.  The selection process was a “hybrid search model”, creating a mix of both open and closed aspects of the search.  

In a forum hosted by Ryan and Chair of the Board of Trustees William Bennett in October, members of the search committee emphasized their dedication to finding the most qualified and effective leader of the university, regardless of religious affiliation.

“The present bylaws of DePaul don’t require the president to be Vincentian or even Catholic,” Rev. Edward Udovic, C.M. said during the forum. “What we need to do is find the best candidate, Catholic or not.”

The president will be officially announced an all-campus event at 9 a.m. Feb. 16, in the Student Center, Room 120, Lincoln Park Campus.