It has been suggested that an attribute list for the next president of Oberlin should reflect many of the qualities that the College seeks in its students: intellectual acumen, creativity, idealism, breadth of curiosity, and social and civic engagement. A professional reputation for setting high standards and personal characteristics of warmth, integrity, and a sense of humor will all be important. In addition, other specific attributes and experiences are critical. The successful Oberlin president will be:

• A person with a consistent expectation for excellence in people and programs;
• A self-confident and visionary leader, who enjoys relating to a wide variety of people and interests;
• A person who can appreciate the history, culture, and values of Oberlin, and who will implement the educational mission of its Conservatory of Music and its College of Arts and Sciences;
• A strategic and accomplished thinker who values the creative process and the life of the mind, and who will lead by ideas;
• A person of intercultural competence and global perspective, committed to diversity in its many forms and comfortable in celebrating and promoting it;
• An accomplished communicator, prepared to actively engage the Oberlin community in thoughtful conversation and spirited discourse;
• A person with proven abilities to inspire a significantly enhanced philanthropic culture and to generate increased contributed resources;
• A person with a high level of skill in leadership, management, and administration, and an ability to balance those roles;
• A person with sophisticated political skills and intuition, able to galvanize diverse points of view in a complex setting;
• A person who is entrepreneurial and capable of prioritizing, making difficult decisions, and implementing effective change by building trust in a community of sometimes strongly divergent views.

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