While there is no guarantee of success in the presidential search process, those involved should focus on what they regard as the essential qualities for the new president, a panel of former university presidents told members of the Board of Regents, the Search Advisory Committee, and the public in a forum March 20.
鈥淲hen you make a major appointment, such as a president, you have to hold your breath for five or six months,鈥� said Peter Magrath, who has been president of the State University of New York-Binghamton, University of Minnesota, and the University of Missouri System. 鈥淚f you are asphyxiated, you probably made a mistake. There are no guarantees. But look closely at the individual鈥檚 track record. That doesn鈥檛 mean you should limit your choices to sitting presidents. Look carefully at that person鈥檚 desire to do the job.鈥�
Stanley Ikenberry, who was president of the University of Illinois for 16 years, echoed Magrath鈥檚 comments. 鈥淟ook for a person with passion. Understand what qualities are crucial for that person to have, to take the university forward over the next five years. The most vulnerable point of a presidency is the tendency for 鈥榓cademic drift.鈥� The great skill that is required is creating a vision. That vision comes from experience, but also from listening to the community members. The president鈥檚 job is to articulate a vision and build consensus around it.鈥�
The panel, which was chaired by former Oregon State University president John Byrne, agreed on most of the traits that were desirable in a candidate, and they also offered advice on where to look.
鈥淐ast a broad net,鈥� said Ikenberry. 鈥淚nclude business, the military, government and public service. Look at home, and at every other major university in the country. Seek evidence of that individual鈥檚 crucial leadership qualities, and make sure that the person鈥檚 talents fit well with the university鈥檚 agenda. Many of the issues a president will confront are moral issues and value questions. The president should be comfortable talking in value terms and building consensus around values.鈥�
Regent William Gates, Sr. asked the panelists how the committee can adequately evaluate candidates based upon the information gathered in an interview.
鈥淲hen you finish the interviews, you鈥檒l see some qualities you like in one or more of the candidates, but you鈥檒l have doubts about others,鈥� Ikenberry said. 鈥淩emember that much of this job is learned. Look for someone who has the potential to grow into the job. Typically a president is better at the job after several years. You should be willing to take a younger person. I was 44 when I became president of Illinois. A president will probably take a decade to make a mark on the institution.
鈥淎nd don鈥檛 expect to hire a seasoned president,鈥� he added. 鈥淭he job is like a marriage: Few people want to walk away from the job they already have. They have a deep commitment and usually are unwilling to shift.鈥�
Both former presidents advised committee members to make that 鈥渓ast call鈥� to check the candidate鈥檚 references, even if all the other calls had not turned up new or different information.
Magrath advised the committee to look for someone who wants but does not need the job, who does not feel that his or her personal well being is tied to being president. 鈥淵ou want a secure person, and someone who truly believes in the positions that they take. The individual must be smart enough to allow for change, and have a vision for how the institution can be improved. The president must understand the economic and social environment, and be eager to face challenges and opportunities with political astuteness. The president must be a higher education politician, in the best sense of the word, understanding the internal and external political environment, and must be active in the state, regional and national political arenas.鈥�
The next president also must be entrepreneurial, dealing with a state and national climate for higher education funding that Magrath described as 鈥渄readful.鈥� 鈥淚t will be a huge challenge to maintain access while tuition increases. The president will need to guide the institution to becoming more entrepreneurial in attracting the necessary resources.鈥�
Ikenberry pointed out that one factor making a university presidency so difficult is the number and variety of stakeholders. 鈥淭he president must reach broad audiences, serving as an institutional advocate to stakeholders, and explaining to them why they should care about the future of the university. One subject that university presidents don鈥檛 mention as frequently as they should is productivity, he said. They don鈥檛 talk as much as they need to about how to use dollars effectively.鈥�
Regent Sally Jewell asked about the relative merits of candidates from within an institution versus those from outside it. Magrath responded, 鈥淭here are no rules. Some have moved up from within, but scores have come from outside and done well. What you need is a person who is smart enough to figure out the institutional culture.鈥�
鈥淪ometimes,鈥� added Ikenberry, 鈥渋t鈥檚 advantageous not to know everything about an institution. It brings a 鈥榥a茂ve freshness鈥� to the job, which is a value added.鈥�
The original intent of this forum was to have a panel of current presidents, 鈥渂ut this proved to be impossible, according to Byrne.
鈥淭hese people are incredibly busy,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a job, but a way of life.鈥�