UL Presidential Selection Process

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<b> UL's Landry "strongly" eyes top post. State's Savoie non-committal </b>

Steve Landry, UL Lafayette’s vice president for academic affairs, says he’s “strongly considering” applying for the university president’s job, but the state’s commissioner of higher education maintains it’s “much too soon” to talk about his potential interest. E. Joseph Savoie, who has served as commissioner for the past 11 years, says he is focusing his attention on the current legislative session, which comes to a close at the end of June. “This could be a historic session for us,” Savoie says. “I’m not going to let rumors avert my attention.”

Before becoming commissioner, Savoie was vice president for university advancement for five years. Now 53, he was the youngest commissioner in the country when he took over the job — he’s now the third longest serving.

Landry, however, isn’t as distracted. “I’m watching for the ads and the timeline,” he says. “I’m getting encouragement from some of my colleagues … from faculty.” Landry has served in his current post since 2000; prior to that, he was vice president for research after having been director of research and sponsor programs. In the 1980s he was a faculty member in the computer science department and head of the department.

Both Landry and Savoie have doctorates and classroom experience, which is favored by members of UL’s faculty. While a nationwide search is under way, they are viewed as top contenders for the post, but many believe they may represent the status quo due to their loyalty to retiring UL President Ray Authement. Whether the search committee will seek candidates who represent significant change in the direction of the university has yet to be determined.

Long considered the heir-apparent, Savoie acknowledges such “rumors have been around for several years.” Saying he is “flattered” by the speculation, Savoie is adamant there is no basis for it. “If there have been any arrangements made, I haven’t been a part of them,” he says.


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Landry Savoie

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&nbsp; The UL System will hire a consultant to help recruit a pool of candidates to replace retiring UL President Ray Authement, but the recruiting already has begun, said UL System President Sally Clausen.

"Every one of us is a recruiter now," Clausen said after listening to comments from a crowd of about 100 people who attended the first public hearing of the search committee set to find Authement's replacement.

"The way that we speak, what we say, how much we know, our interests in ourselves and our future will be reflected in the interest of the candidates that we hope to attract," she said.

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Authement announced his retirement in late April.
Thursday was the first opportunity that members of the community - both on campus and off - had to express their opinion on not who, but the type of candidate that the search committee should target. It won't be the last. Thirteen people in the crowd stepped forward to pinpoint traits they felt should be made a priority. The comment process took less than an hour.

The next public hearing is set for Sept. 12 in Lafayette. A time hasn't been set.

Members of the public also may go online to send the system comments or questions via submissions or e-mail. Those who wish to comment anonymously, may leave a message on a voice mail box that's been set up for the search.

The openness of the process was praised by one UL staff member - Carl Bauer, director of governmental affairs at UL, who served in the Legislature with search committee chairman, Jimmy Long.

"It's a formidable task in that you have been asked to replace a truly great man as president of this university. It's a helluva job. I wish you well in it," Bauer said.

Clausen said she's been told that she can expect to lose some candidates because of the openness.

"I've even had consultants indicate to me that you're going to take a risk by keeping it as open as you are. We know that," she said. "I believe having a participation like this gives ownership to the community, the faculty and students that this is their process and they have a voice and that voice is important and in turn that president will be supported because there is some ownership there. That's just my opinion. Unfortunately, research does not back me up."

By nature of the position of the presidency, it's not any easy spot to fill, said Clausen and many of those who addressed the committee.

"In essence, we're looking for someone who might walk on water," Clausen told the crowd before the hearing began.

An advertisement for the position will be placed in local and state papers, but also nationally in the Chronicle of Higher Education, as well as national publications that target minorities in education such as Diverse, Women in Higher Education, Black Issues and Black Enterprise.

Just two years ago, UL hired a director of campus diversity with a focus on recruiting diverse students and faculty.

Continuing those efforts should be a goal of the next president, said Shawn Wilson, a past Alumni Association president.

Jennifer Hightower, UL's executive director of campus diversity and Robert Carmouche, UL's director of special services, echoed Wilson's emphasis on a candidate who embraces diversity.

Both UL staff members pointed out the advances that the university has made in its recruitment efforts, but agreed that the university needs to push forward with its diversity goals.

Many addressed the need for the new president to have a political savvy that includes fighting for funding for the university, while being willing to collaborate with other leaders to fight for higher education funds.

"The largest problem that UL faces today is funding at the state level," said Dr. Joseph Abraham of Lafayette. "We're the worst-funded school. ... We cannot go further academically until that is corrected."

The scope of the search will be national, but while it's looking elsewhere for candidates, the committee should not lose sight of the pool of talent in Acadiana, said U.S. District Judge Richard Haik.

"To lose Doc is a great loss to the community of Lafayette," he said. "We need someone who understands the community, who understands the heritage and who understands the great things that Doc has done. ... Don't forget that the people of this area are a unique class of individuals and that uniqueness has been a benefit for us, and we want that to continue."




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&nbsp; So far, no budget has been set for the expense of searching for the next UL president.

But a consultant will be hired to help with the task, according to UL System President Sally Clausen.

"Coaches recruit - look how much money is spent on that process," she said after the system's search committee's first public forum last week in Lafayette. "Why not take the same approach and recruit for the highest position at a university that affects everybody?"

It's been about three years since the system conducted its last search for a president.

During the search for the new Grambling president, which ended in 2004, the system spent $49,900 on consultant fees.

In 2001, consultant fees were $35,139 for the search for UL Monroe's new president.

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The real money question - how much will the new UL president be offered to take the job - won't be answered until the negotiation process, according to Clausen.

"At the point you interview your candidate, begin to talk about salary and begin negotiating," she said in an earlier interview about the process. "It's like hiring any CEO. You try to go after the best and pay what you think is appropriate for your state and your institution and encourage them to try to be there."

UL President Ray Authement is the highest paid president in the system, but not by much. Annually, Authement, who has more than 30 years in office and oversees the system's largest institution, makes about $15,000 more than UL Monroe's president, James Cofer, who took office in 2002.

But Authement is not the highest compensated president in the system. Louisiana Tech's Daniel Reneau has a $56,000 deferred compensation package that's paid into trust by the Louisiana Tech Foundation.

In a November report that examined the compensation of university and college presidents, The Chronicle of Higher Education found that the median compensation for public university presidents was $374,846 in 2006.

The report showed that within the state, LSU's Sean O'Keefe was the most compensated president at a public institution. O'Keefe's total compensation is $441,046.

The report also showed Authement's compensation as $300,420, which includes his retirement pay. Including retirement pay, Tech's Reneau still receives more compensation with $317,760, according to the report.

So, what were the three most recent presidential hires by the system offered in pay when they took the job?

According to the offer letters and terms signed by system heads and new hires, UL Monroe's James Cofer was the only new hire with a deferred compensation package tied to his deal.

Here were the financial terms agreed upon by the three most recent hires:

UL Monroe's Cofer took office in 2002. He signed his letter of agreement with the system in December 2001. Prior to taking the position Cofer served as vice president for finance and administration of the University of Missouri System.


$155,000 base salary with an annual increase that is "commensurate" with average faculty salary increase, which is standard board policy.

$10,000 annual deferred salary, plus $40,000 at the end of a five-year period.
Cofer's initial agreement also called for a $25,000 housing allowance. He now receives $35,000 a year for a housing allowance.

Nicholls State University's Stephen Hulbert - took office July 2003 and agreed upon the terms of his job on April 2003. He had served as chancellor of the University of Montana-Western for four years before making the move to Thibodaux.


$152,000 per fiscal year. Specifics about annual salary increase not included in terms.

No more than $17,000 in relocation, including travel expenses to conduct business trips before taking office.
Grambling's Horace Judson took office in June 2004 and signed his letter of agreement in March 2004. Before taking the position, Judson had served as the president of Plattsburgh State University of New York for nearly a decade.


$160,000 per year. Specifics about annual salary increases were not included in Judson's terms.

Relocation allowance of $12,000; Also allowance for business travel before he took office.



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&nbsp; At least 25 people have issued comments online or by phone about the UL presidential search, but the system isn't releasing who or how many people have applied for the job yet.

"We do not release it until it is complete," said Jackie Tisdell, executive director of student development and communications.

Tisdell explained that as part of the process, system officials verify that the application and materials were submitted by the applicant.

She said during the verification process system officials also ensure that the applicant understand that the application and submitted materials will be made public. Tisdell could not say how long the verification process would take or how many applicants have submitted applications.

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"I don't want to release it and that person decides that they don't want to be a public applicant. I don't want the numbers skewed," Tisdell said.

She did confirm that more than one application has been received.

UL President Sally Clausen has admitted that she thinks the system will lose candidates because of the open process, but that it's a sacrifice that's in the best interest of the community to give them ownership in the process.

In April, UL President Ray Authement announced his plans for retirement after more than 30 years as the university's president.

If you missed last month's first presidential search committee meeting and public forum held on UL's campus, check it out on YouTube. The system posted the video on the public video sharing site last week.

Visit www.youtube.com/ul system.

For updates on the search, visit the system's Web site at www.ul system.net

The next public forum held by the UL presidential search committee will be held on Sept. 12 in Lafayette. Time and location are still being worked out.

To submit your comments or views before then, visit www.ulsystem.net



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BATON ROUGE, La. – Seven professionals have submitted applications to become the new president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. All seven are based outside of Louisiana, representing six different states and China.

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&nbsp; BATON ROUGE, La. – Seven professionals have submitted applications to become the new president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. All seven are based outside of Louisiana, representing six different states and China.

The applicants are:

• James William Berry, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Peter Fos, Ph.D., D.D.S., Dean of the College of Health at the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg

• John Frederic Garmon, Ph.D., Chief Academic Officer at New Mexico State University at Carlsbad

• Valentine James, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Fayetteville State University, North Carolina

• Christopher Lu, Ph.D., Professor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo

• James Mackin, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

• James Moy, Ph.D., Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Creative Media at City University of Hong Kong

Full applications are available for the public to review in the UL Lafayette campus library and electronically on the UL System’s website, www.ulsystem.net.

The presidential search committee held its first meeting and public hearing June 14 on the UL Lafayette campus. Desired qualifications for a new president were compiled from public input at that meeting and through a special email, web comment form and phone line set up for the search. Those qualifications are also posted on the UL System’s website.

A special “You Tube” site, www.youtube.com/ulsystem, houses video clips of the entire June 14 meetings.

The next committee meeting and public hearing are scheduled for September 12 in Lafayette. Later in the year public candidate interviews are planned with the expectation of naming a new president by December.

Voting members on the presidential search committee are ULS Board members Paul Aucoin, Elsie Burkhalter, Robert Hale, Jeffrey Jenkins, Renee Lapeyrolerie, Jimmy Long, Sr., Wayne Parker, Olinda Ricard (student member), and Winfred Sibille, as well as UL Lafayette Faculty Senate representative John Meriwether.

Serving on the search committee in an advisory, non-voting capacity are community member and UL Lafayette Foundation representative James Prince and UL Lafayette Student Government Association President Candace Urbanowski. UL System President Sally Clausen serves as the committee chair.

President Ray Authement, the longest-standing public university president in the country at 33 years, announced April 27 he will retire from UL Lafayette.

For More Information Contact:
Jackie Tisdell
225-342-6950
jtisdell@uls.state.la.us



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Originally Posted by NewsCopy

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Anyone find that list impressive?

Have they closed the application process? I'd bet that it'll be somebody not on that list. If it's somebody from the list though...James Mackin, and that's just throwing a dart at the list. Plus, Jhari Evans of the New Orleans Saints comes from Bloomsburg and he was an excellent draft pick last year. :cool:

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Originally Posted by Pirogue

Anyone find that list impressive?

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depressive

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Originally Posted by Pirogue

Anyone find that list impressive?

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No. Maybe the guy from USM has experience building a regional school into a national contender. Not one VP in the USA is interested?

I truly do hope that they find someone from out of state. I was excited when I looked at the list and saw that no one on there was from Louisiana. If we want UL to actually make progress, the last thing we need is someone who has grown up with the Louisiana mentality of sub-par = excellence.

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Originally Posted by BrockMeaux

_ Have they closed the application process? I'd bet that it'll be somebody not on that list. If it's somebody from the list though...James Mackin, and that's just throwing a dart at the list. Plus, Jhari Evans of the New Orleans Saints comes from Bloomsburg and he was an excellent draft pick last year. :cool: _

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"So far, seven candidates, all serving at institutions outside Louisiana, have sent in applications.

Applications still are being taken, and the first interviews for the position will not happen until October."

That came from the article in the advertiser.