Mastodawn

The arXiv is separating from Cornell University, and is hiring a CEO, who will be paid roughly $300,000/year:

https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37961678/chief-executive-officer

They say:

"After decades of productive partnership with Cornell University, and with support from the Simons Foundation, arXiv is establishing itself as an independent nonprofit organization, marking the next stage in its 35-year history as a pioneer of open-access science."

The arXiv’s current annual budget is approximately $6 million and they employ ~27 staff members, most of whom work remotely, primarily in the U.S. The new chief executive officer (CEO) will be responsible for all aspects of arXiv, including strategic planning, financial management, technical infrastructure, personnel oversight and stakeholder engagement. They will work closely with board member representatives of Cornell University and the Simons Foundation to establish the organization’s independence.

A firm called Spencer Stuart is recruiting the CEO. For confidential nominations and expressions of interest, you can contact them at [email protected]. The salary is expected to be around $300,000, though the actual salary offered may differ.

Chief Executive Officer - New York City, New York (US) job with arXiv | 37961678

arXiv seeks its first CEO to champion open, free scientific discovery and guide the platform’s next chapter as an independent nonprofit.

The Chronicle of Higher Education Jobs

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Martin Escardo Mar 13

@johncarlosbaez Oh, no, I thought the arxiv was going to be for ever, at least for as long as we last in this planet.

First we lost the mirrors in Europe. And now this.

I am not optimistic about this move.

Who gets to decide about this?

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John Carlos Baez Mar 14

@MartinEscardo - I don't instantly assume this will be bad. I think it depends a lot on who they choose. The job description says they want to hire a prestigious mathematician, physicist or computer scientist. It will be hard to get someone like that without a fairly high salary.

It's possible they are doing this because they believe Trump will continue his campaign against universities until 2028 at least, and they want to insulate the arXiv from Cornell.

Of course it *could* be very bad.

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Elle

@johncarlosbaez @MartinEscardo I do wonder though if aiming to hire a person working in Maths, Physics or CS is the right call. Overseeing such crucial part of academia that _arxiv_ has become requires great understanding of cultural context and discourse, at least if the goal is to keep it the pillar that it is. While people can be brilliant at what they do, it doesn't necessarily translate well elsewhere. Of course, #NotAllFolxInSTEM but actually quite many of them are not the best when it comes to the nuances of navigating such landscapes. And unfortunately we have many examples of the disasters which happen when technical people become CEOs. I really hope _arxiv_ won't be another casualty of that.