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Committee Wants Intellectual Leader

[Note: This material is copyright by the Press-Citizen, and is reproduced here as a matter of "fair use" for non-commercial, educational purposes only. Any other use may require the prior approval of the Iowa City Press-Citizen.]

"Search two, from a process perspective is much more open. In fact, it is infinitely more open," Faculty Senate President Sheldon Kurtz said.

In the two and half months since its inception, the second search committee has held weekly public meetings, provided advanced notice of its meetings and created a Web site with agendas, minutes and updates.

Marc Mills, the UI general counsel, has attended each meeting to ensure the committee is complying with open meeting laws. Mills said he is required to because the committee is sanctioned by the Iowa state Board of Regents.

The initial search was a closed process, which is becoming the norm, said Nat Sutton, a liaison from the executive search firm Heidrick and Struggles. The firm has served as consultant for both committees. He has said that university presidential searches nationwide are becoming more and more entirely closed processes with a president being unveiled at the end.

However, the closed nature of the first search, which didn't announce its meetings, didn't hold them in public and provided few updates caused uneasiness on campus and in the state.

"There is a good possibility that search one was not conducted in accordance with the rules," Kurtz said. "They didn't have a committee chaired by a person that understood the university world. (Initial search committee chairwoman Teresa Wahlert) understood the corporate world."

Wahlert, the chief operating officer of the Mid-America Group in Des Moines, did not return phone messages Friday. Regent President Michael Gartner, who was one of four regents on the initial 19-person search committee, said he wasn't involved in the decision making for the initial search and didn't know where the advice came from to use a closed process.

"I was not involved. You would have to ask Teresa," Gartner said.

He said the initial committee and the current committee have its own leeway in how it wants to operate.

The number of regents on the initial committee, and the fact that a regent led the committee, caused a stir as well. After the search ended, many questioned why regents on the search committee supported some of the candidates, but then voted against them.

Gartner said this time around, the regents are hands off.

"I said (to David Johnsen, UI college of dentistry dean and chairman of the second search), 'Do it your way. We are not involved,'" Gartner said. "I am waiting. I assume it is going well, but I will wait to see. I have absolute confidence in the people he chose to be on the committee."

The controversy surrounding that initial search led to a lawsuit, in which the Press-Citizen sued the Iowa state Board of Regents for its unannounced closed meetings in the week leading up to the board voting to reject four finalists and disband the initial search committee.

Iowa's Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman William Angrick, in response to citizens concerned by the lack of transparency in the first search, requested an itinerary of the new process and has been in contact with Johnsen to know how the process complies with the spirit of open meeting laws.

The information produced by the initial search, including all the names of candidates they collected as well as promotional and strategy documents, were retained by Heidrick and Struggles. The second search has access to the documents.

Iowa City Regent Bob Downer, who voted against ending the initial search, said while the first search had problems, he still thinks they came up with the good end product in the four finalists. Downer also said he was not aware of who provided the legal advice on how to operate the initial search.

Former UI president David Skorton announced his intent to become Cornell University president more than 13 months ago.

Finding not only a leader, but also an intellectual leader, is one of the top qualities the University of Iowa presidential search committee is looking for in the next president.

"That is the single most important characteristic we are looking for," said Linda Maxson, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a search committee member.

The topic came up during a discussion about questions that could be used to evaluate candidates.

"They should set a tone," English professor Ed Folsom said during Friday's search committee meeting. "Does the person understand the importance of being an intellectual in an academic environment?"

Folsom's belief was that candidates should be an example for those he or she must lead and that in this community intellect is a key component of being a leader.

"It is possible to be a successful president without being an intellectual leader," Folsom said. "But they will be more respected nationally and within the institution."

Other attributes the committee discussed were a person with high energy, ability and enjoyment to fundraise, strategic thinking, executive decision-making, the ability to oversee without meddling and ability for crisis management.

The search committee is charged with presenting four finalists to the Iowa state Board of Regents, who would then approve one to become the next UI president. The search committee has targeted July 1 as the end date for the search.

Former UI president David Skorton announced more than a year ago that he was becoming president of Cornell University. Regents decided an initial search committee had failed after seven months with a 6-2 vote to reject four finalists and disbanded the initial search committee Nov. 17. The second search kicked off Dec. 18 with the naming of College of Dentistry Dean David Johnsen as committee chairman.

The committee now has access to files and names collected during the first search, which had been held by executive search firm Heidrick and Struggles, and are reviewing recommendations from the faculty body.