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West Virginia Universitys Board of Governors on Friday (Sept. 12) unanimously approved a presidential search committee that includes a 15-member constituency-based voting panel and an ex-officio, nonvoting member. It also appointed former WVU President Gene Budig to lead the search and outlined a timelineApril 2009for selecting a new president.
In addition to Budig, the search panel will be comprised of:
- 2 BOG memberscurrent chairwoman Carolyn Long, who will serve as vice chair, and newly appointed member Charles Vest
- 3 faculty members to be selected by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee
- 2 classified staff to be selected by Staff Council
- 2 students selected by the Student Government Associationone a graduate or professional student from health sciences
- 2 administrators to be selected by the president
- 1 representative each from the WVU Foundation, Alumni Association and Parents Club
Brian Noland, chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, will serve as an ex-officio, nonvoting member, per the HEPC presidential search rule. Interim President C. Peter Magrath has been asked to serve as an adviser to both the Board and the search committee.
Magrath praised the choice of Budig to lead the search:Gene Budig is a first-class professional whose role in leading the search for our next permanent president is an assurance that this process will be conducted with the highest integrity and produce a sterling list of prospects for the BOG to select as president. He not only knows public higher education from the inside; he has, as a former president of WVU , a deep love and understanding of this University and of West Virginia.
Submissions to the presidential search committee by constituency groups are to be made on or before Oct. 1, according to Long, and will be followed by an official vote and announcement on or before Oct. 15.
The search process complies with the emergency rule under Series 5guidelines for governing boards in employing and evaluating presidents.It was conditionally approved by HEPC Aug. 23 and by the Legislative Oversight Committee on Educational Accountability (LOCEA) Aug. 24. It will now go before HEPC for final approval on or before Oct. 1.
The process calls foran aggressive timeline,Long stated.
Following the October appointment of the search committee, we want to nationally advertise the WVU presidency by no later than early November,Long said.We will do that in several ways: through advertisements in higher education publications and/or Web sites, a WVU presidential search Web site, a search firm, word of mouth and nominations.
Long estimates that by Dec. 15, all applications and nominations will have been received, so that by March, finalists can be invited to campus for interviews.
If all goes well,Long said,we would like to select a new WVU president on or before April 3.
She reminded future search committee members of a confidentiality oath each will be required to sign as part of the HEPC rule.
This is to confirm each members commitment for complete confidentiality and discretion regarding candidate names and backgrounds during the process,she noted.While we want to be open and transparent when it comes to announcing the committee members, the process, the timeline and other important information, we also want to protect the integrity of the search by providing the utmost discretion about the candidates until such time as we make decisions about which finalists to invite to campus.
In other action, the Board discussed the characteristics they want to see in a new presidentqualities related to academic credentials, leadership experience, familiarity with public land-grant research universities and a commitment to the Universitys mission and fundamental principles. That draft statement will be circulated to constituency groups for input and adopted at a later meeting, she said.
The Board also formed a committee to interview potential firms to assist in the search process and discussed presidential compensation.
The Board understands we will need to pay WVU s next leader a salary that is competitive with what similar land-grant universities with major research programs and comprehensive health sciences offer,Long said.
A Web sitepresidentialsearch.wvu.eduwith current information about WVU s presidential search will go live soon.
Gene Budig:
In accepting the offer to lead the search, Dr. Budig said,One cannot overstate the importance of WVU to the state and the nation. I am honored to join with others in helping to enhance its future.
Budig was president of WVU from 1977-80 and also served as president of Illinois State University from 1973-77 and was chancellor of the University of Kansas from 1980-94. He is currently serving as a distinguished professor and senior presidential adviser for the College Board and is part owner of the Charleston River Dogs, a minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees. He was president of Major League Baseballs American League from 1994-99. He earned all three degrees at the University of Nebraskaa bachelors in English, a masters in journalism and a doctorate in educationand served on the faculty at UN and also spent three years as chief of staff for Nebraska Gov. Frank Morrison. ( FULL BIOGRAPHY )
Charles Vest:
- Dr. Vest, retired president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was appointed to the BOG in June by Gov. Joe Manchin. He is a native of Morgantown and earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from WVU in 1963, a masters from the University of Michigan in 1964 and a doctorate from the University of Michigan in 1967. He is currently president of National Academy of Engineering and the recipient of many honorary doctoral degrees, including one from WVU . He is a member of WVU s Academy of Distinguished Alumni.
Other BOG matters
In other action, the Board approved:
- a building site project for the Department of Energy in the WVU Research Park (not a ground lease)
- financing and reimbursement resolution of Intermodal Transportation Facility and Parking Garage project, located near the Health Sciences Center, at a cost of $16.1 million ($5.2 million from federal funding)
- Alumni Association parking project
- financing and reimbursement resolution for Dadisman Hall renovations and WVU Early Childhood Center construction
- development of a branch campus for pharmacy in Martinsburg at the HSC Eastern Division
- revisions to the tenure clock policy for special work-life circumstances and approval of WVU s debt policy to ensure timely and favorable access to capital markets
- renaming of the road around the new Alumni Center from Medical Center Drive to 57 AlumniDrive
The Board also approved a new committee structure and assignments for members in the coming year to these panels: executive, finance, audit, divisional campus, accreditation/strategic plan, health sciences and the NCAA .