Zack Quaintance
Daily Egyptian
After the most recent Board of Trustees meeting, the murky presidential search waters are beginning to clear up.
A professional firm, a 22-member committee representing University
interest groups and the trustees will collaborate this summer so
candidate screenings can begin Sep. 15, and a choice can be made by the
end of the year. The board publicized the information via press release
last week.
The search will fill the position scheduled to become vacant at the end of June 2006 after James Walker's retires.
The University is bringing in Baker-Parker Inc., a firm based in
Atlanta which was recently used to help hire SIUE's chancellor. Jerry
Blakemore, legal counsel for the board, did not return calls Monday
inquiring about the firm's cost.
A smattering of 22 people from both Edwardsville and Carbondale will
make up the Presidential Search Advisory Committee, which will screen
early applicants, help select semifinalists and submit a minimum of
three candidates.
Constituency bodies and other groups will submit nominations to the
board, which will do its best to achieve a balance of races, genders,
cultures and disciplines in the search, according to the press release.
Harold Bardo was selected as the committee's chairman. Bardo, the
director of the University's pre-med and dental program for
disadvantaged students, brings several good qualities to the search
because he has been around SIU since 1968, University spokeswoman Sue
Davis said.
Trustee Keith Sanders will communicate the committee's opinions to the board.
"The successful candidate for president will have a broad range of
skills, experience, and abilities, and the make-up of our advisory
committee is reflective of that," Sanders said in a statement last week.
Vice-Chancellor Rickey McCurry said he is responsible for selecting the
SIUC Alumni Association and SIUC Foundation nominees. McCurry, like
most administrators, makes it no secret that handling budget problems
is important.
Decreased money from the government is an issue for universities across
the country, and the new president needs people skills to increase
donations, McCurry said.
"I think what's important is the ability to develop relationships regardless of who it's with," McCurry said.
There is one announced candidate for the office in the form of freshly
resigned board chairman Glenn Poshard, who said he was not at the
meeting because he thought it would be unfair if he did not distance
himself from the decision-making process.
While campus leaders like Nate Brown, president of the Undergraduate
Student Government, and Robert Benford, president of the Faculty
Senate, expressed respect and admiration for Poshard, they said they
were excited to see what kind of national attention the search would
bring to the University.
"I'm interested to see what happens when it's a national search, when
we get these other applicants and we see what they have to offer,"
Brown said.
Brown was not sure how much he should say because his group will play a
role in submitting two names for the committee, but he expressed
admiration for Poshard's vested interest in the University.
"One of the things I like about him is he's been around SIU for so long," Brown said. "It's not just another school for him."
Benford will submit joint nominations with John Benshoff, president of
the Graduate Council. Benford ruled himself out as a nominee because of
statements he made last month favoring Poshard.
"As I said before, I can't imagine a more qualified candidate," Benford
said. "He brings together all the requisite qualifications you want in
a candidate."
Poshard has passion for the University, Southern Illinois, students and
higher education along with the experience needed to mobilize those,
Benford said.
Having a candidate as seemingly perfect as Poshard is a good thing, because it sets the bar high, Benford said.
"If they find someone better than Glenn Poshard we'll be in good shape," he said. "He's hard to top."
Reporter Zack Quaintance can be reached at
zack_quaintance@dailyegyptian.com.
PSAC representation: Faculty Senate and Graduate Council at SIUC and
SIUE, Faculty Association at SIUC, Civil Service Employees Council at
SIUC, administrative professional staff and civil servants from SIUE,
AP Council SIUC, two students from SIUE, Undergraduate Student
Government at SIUC, Graduate and Professional Student Council at SIUC,
Alumni Association at SIUC and SIUE, Foundation at SIUC and SIUE.
