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Dear Colleagues:

Yesterday evening, the Regents started a second search to find a new
president for the University of Iowa. In a press release issued 12
days ago, the Board stated that “a new search process will be
discussed and developed by the Regents in consultation with all
University of Iowa stakeholders, donors, faculty and staff, deans,
administrators, and Iowa City area community leaders.” That
consultation did not occur with the faculty, staff, or student leadership.

On Monday, December 18, I sent a letter to the Regents requesting an
opportunity for faculty from UI, ISU, and UNI to appear at a special
Board meeting in January to discuss with the Board three issues
related to the process to be used for the second search. My intention
was to invite colleagues from the three campuses who have had
significant experience leading presidential searches and who could
speak with authority about the “ins and outs” of presidential searches
on our respective campuses and engage in a meaningful dialogue with
the Regents.

This request was motivated by the fact that the process employed in
the recently terminated search for a new University of Iowa president
was a significant departure from the traditional search process
employed so successfully for many years at all three state
universities. In view of the fact that the search failed amid
substantial public criticism in the press of all parties, I felt it
was appropriate to reflect upon the prior experience before
determining the process to be used in the new search.

Such reflection is important not only to identify the lessons that
need to be learned from the failed search but also to maximize the
chances that the new search will succeed. The stakes are too high not
to spend an appropriate period in reflection and discussion.  You can
find my request at
http://www.uiowa.edu/~facsen/news.htm.  The request was denied shortly
after it was received.

Yesterday, the Regents had a telephonic open meeting to initiate the
second search to find a replacement David Skorton. They unanimously
voted to have Dean David Johnsen of the College of Dentistry head the
search committee.  They also agreed that the committee will be smaller
than the recently disbanded committee and that no one who served on
the prior search committee could serve on the new committee. They left
open a number of questions, including the precise size of the
committee and whether a student would serve on it.

Regent Gartner stated that he planned to talk to Dean Johnsen and to
each Regent individually before the Board would meet again (perhaps as
early as the first week of January) to approve the search committee
and to resolve other issues. There was no discussion of on-campus interviews.

I have the greatest confidence in and respect for Dean Johnsen and
pledge to do whatever he asks of me to make the upcoming search
successful. Although faculty clearly have differences with the Board
leadership on a number of fronts, we do share the common goal of
recruiting an outstanding president to lead The University of
Iowa.  Now that the second search has started, I urge all faculty to
support Dean Johnsen and the search committee as they work to achieve
that goal.

Shelly

Sheldon F. Kurtz
President, Faculty Senate
Percy Bordwell Professor of Law