UL Presidential Selection Process

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The final three of five candidates for the UL presidency laid out their priorities and how their experience could enhance UL's future during the search committee's interviews held Tuesday at the LITE Center. Higher education commissioner Joseph Savoie admitted he's still undecided whether the position is a right fit for him, but that's what the process is about, he added. Savoie's admission came after a question submitted by retired UL faculty member, Jane Ellen Carstens, who wanted to know why Savoie would leave his current position where he has an impact on the state's higher education. "Frankly, I have not made that decision in my own mind, but the process is that we have to declare a public interest to go through the process. We're going to have to work through that together, if the board is interested in working through that." Savoie said he has confidence in his staff, the Regents and the state's system heads. "I'm still struggling with it, but I think Louisiana is going to be fine with or without me," Savoie said. Among the candidates, Savoie and UL vice president of academic affairs, Steve Landry, both have institutional knowledge of UL and it showed in their answers. Ray Flumerfelt, a chemical and bimolecular engineering professor at the University of Houston, is the current vice director of the Texas National Wind Energy Project, a research and training facility. Flumerfelt's held leadership roles at the college of engineering and department level at three other universities during his career. The rest of the story Marsha Sills msills@theadvertiser.com

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White withdraws name from UL presidential candidacy The field of five candidates for UL president is now down to four. On Thursday, Karen White, regional chancellor of University of South Florida St. Petersburg, withdrew her name as a candidate for the UL presidency. In a letter to UL System President Sally Clausen, White was complimentary of her experience in Lafayette and on campus as part of the interview process, however added that her current job best fits her professional goals. “My administrative career has focused on the urban and metropolitan university and I believe my knowledge and skill set are best applied in that mission,” White stated. The source of the story

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The University of Louisiana Faculty Senate has endorsed UL Vice President for Academic Affairs Steve Landry for the job of university president. Landry is one of four candidates on the short list to replace retiring ULL President Ray Authement. A fifth finalist, Karen White, withdrew from the application process Thursday. The ULL Faculty Senate approved a motion Wednesday endorsing Landry, who earned his doctorate in computer science from ULL and has worked at the university for three decades. “I think he is the most qualified candidate, and I think he has the trust of the faculty and has proved himself as an administrator,” said UL sociology professor Robert Gramling, who introduced the motion in support of Landry. “I just think there has been some frustration with the process, and we wanted to make sure the voice of the faculty was heard.” The presidential search committee is made up largely of UL System board members. The rest of the story By RICHARD BURGESS

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Faculty Senate backs Landry for UL Candidate pool down to four; White withdraws "The search committee chose to postpone any decision until Nov. 26 to allow time to gather feedback from the university and community," said Kim Hunter Reed, UL System executive vice president. "The Faculty Senate is clearly an important constituent, and we expect other groups and individuals will also provide valuable feedback to the committee and board as well. We welcome their comments." UL System President Sally Clausen was unavailable for comment. Faculty gets one vote on the committee via its representative John Meriwether, a UL physics professor who serves as the Faculty Senate's executive officer. The rest of the story Marsha Sills msills@theadvertiser.com

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During the past 14 years, my wife, Sue, and I have observed the powerful impact that UL has on all aspects of Lafayette and the immediate region. We have had the opportunity to observe the evolution of UL and the tremendous job that outgoing President Ray Authement and his team have done in guiding a regional university into one that has earned national acclaim in many disciplines. The leadership team has generally operated in a challenging environment and has accomplished a great deal with limited resources. Today, the institution includes several unique and amazing "islands of excellence" and has a solid foundation upon which to build in the future. As a former university president, I have observed with special interest, and minimally participated in, the presidential search process at UL. During one of the two public hearings with the Selection Committee, I expressed concern that the open and transparent search process would cause some potentially interested sitting presidents and others to not apply. The rest of the story Charles D. "Chuck" Lein

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UL — The committee searching for the new University of Louisiana at Lafayette president meets Monday in Baton Rouge to narrow the field of candidates for the job. On the short list are UL Vice President for Academic Affairs Steve Landry, state Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Savoie and two out-of-state candidates: Raymond Flumerfelt and Clifford L. Stanley. The UL Faculty Senate passed a motion last week endorsing Landry, who has worked at the university for some 30 years. UL physics professor John Meriwether, the only faculty member on the search committee, said he plans to push for Landry at Monday’s meeting in accordance with the senate’s endorsement. “I’m going to make the argument for him. … I’m representing the faculty senate, and that’s what I’m going to do,” Meriwether said. The remaining voting members on the search committee are UL System board members. The rest of the story By RICHARD BURGESS Advocate Acadiana bureau

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On Monday, the search committee chosen to find UL's next president will meet for the last time to choose who out of four candidates could best lead the university. The process is winding down - all too quickly for some in the community who still question the University of Louisiana System's decision not to keep the search confidential, the length of the search and the five chosen candidates. From the start, the committee had a tentative timeline to have a new president named by December. Longtime President Ray Authement announced his retirement in late April. And since then, the rumors have flown that Authement's replacement had been hand-picked by the gods in Baton Rouge long before Authement said he'd be stepping down. It's likely not much different than 34 years ago when Authement was named to the office by the state Board of Education over the faculty's favorite, then-USL professor and civil rights activist James Oliver. Then, the community was asked to support Authement and resist the "temptation to put personal feelings ahead of the good of our great university." The sentiment appeared 34 years ago in The Daily Advertiser and was the appeal of Richard D'Aquin, then publisher of The Advertiser and a Board of Education member and now on the state's higher education board - the Board of Regents. While D'Aquin nominated the Board of Regents commissioner Joseph Savoie, who is now one of the four candidates, this time he doesn't have a vote in the process. But his association has fueled rumors that Savoie is a shoo-in. It's also a fraction of the reason that now, 34 years later, another community leader is calling for unity - even before a new president is named. The rest of the story Marsha Sills msills@theadvertiser.com