Comment on this story

by Joe Sullivan

By the time you read this column, UT trustees will have picked a new president to lead our troubled university. Since the selection won’t be made until after Metro Pulse has gone to press, I can’t comment now on their choice.

What can be said with confidence, though, is that the search process that produced the six finalists for the position was exemplary. The inclusiveness of the 19-member Search Advisory Council that chose the finalists and the openness with which it conducted its proceedings dispelled all doubt that UT might once again get a president handpicked behind closed doors by a few select trustees or in the confines of the governor’s office in Nashville. Hence, whichever of the six finalists who was chosen will be free of the resentment on the campus that overhung predecessors Wade Gilley and John Shumaker and contributed to their demise. That alone assures that the new president will take office on a more positive footing with his administrative ranks, which can do a lot to make or break him.

The board of trustees is to be commended for the open and inclusive way in which this search was conducted. The Search Advisory Council included student and faculty representatives from each of UT’s four campuses, along with a roughly equal number of alumni representatives and trustees. Its initial screening of 47 applicants reduced the list to 12. And before nine of them were interviewed last week (after three withdrawals), council members made site visits to each of their present habitats to elicit more information about them than could be derived from resumes, references, and interviews alone.

To be sure, the inclusiveness, openness and even the thoroughness of the search process don’t assure that a stellar new president will emerge. Indeed, the widespread fear even within the advisory council was that the protracted open process would discourage top-flight candidates from applying. Conventional wisdom has it that top people at other universities don’t want or can’t afford to have it known that they are seeking a new job, least of all for the length of time that’s elapsed since the application deadline on April 3.

Moreover, as the advisory council’s chairman, Jim Murphy, noted last week, the council heard a lot of expressions that only a Tennessean could be trusted with the job. Indeed, it almost seemed as if a “No Outsiders Need Apply” notice had been posted. Beyond that, UT’s budgetary plight and resultant faculty drain has been worse than just about any other state university’s—though many others are now hurting.

Despite all these deterrents, the finalists for the post included an impressive group of top administrators from other public universities. Kermit Hall, the president of Utah State University, got off to a great start in his interview when he promised he would, “Hit the decks listening.” Jack Burns, vice president for academic affairs and research at the University of Colorado, also got a lot of accolades, both during his interview and the site visit that preceded it. John Petersen, provost and executive vice president of the University of Connecticut, didn’t make quite as strong an impression, but nonetheless has impressive credentials. Brady Deaton, provost at the University of Missouri, also seems well qualified, but barely made the finalist list.

Then, there was the “wildcard” in the field, Kenneth Olden, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Washington. Olden has only limited experience as an academic administrator, having served as director of the Howard University Cancer Center in the 80’s. But he wowed advisory council members during his interview like no other candidate. Council member Debbie Diddle spoke for many when she said, “Olden was so impressive. He hits everything we’re looking for on our list.” That includes having Tennessee roots as a native of Cocke County and a graduate of Knoxville College.

The only real insider to make the final list was Bill Stacy, chancellor of UT-Chattanooga. Stacy gets rave reviews for his performance there, and his biggest backer on the advisory council was influential UT trustee John Thorton, who is also a Chattanoogan. Despite his lack of experience overseeing a multi-faceted university, with its flagship campus in Knoxville and health science center in Memphis, Stacy represented a safe choice in terms of acceptance within the state.

Could a more confidentially conducted search have produced a stronger candidate? Not under present circumstances. The secrecy-shrouded process that begot Shumaker remains so discredited that no one would want any part of it. Especially given the caliber of the candidates who did come forward, advisory council members can rightfully point to their open search as a model for the future.

April 22, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 17 © 2004 Metro Pulse