Florida Board of Governors

BLOG: UF presidential search might end soon, or end in failure

Source: The Gainesville Sun, 11/20/12
View Original Article

By Nathan Crabbe

The University of Florida’s search for a new president might wrap up on the weekend before finals, wait until after the holidays or even end in failure.

After given previous indications of a quick resolution, members of UF’s presidential search committee today sounded like things are going to take longer. Committee chairman David Brown told the committee to no longer plan for interviews next week.

He instead asked the group to set aside time on two sets of days: Dec. 7-9 and Jan. 10-12. The group is planning for three whirlwind days during which presidential finalists would be picked and interviewed, the list would be narrowed and the next president chosen.

Former UF president Marshall Criser Jr. suggested that the search might end in failure, noting that he was hired for the job after a failed search.

“Let’s keep alive the possibility that we may end up with the necessity of a selection after a failed search,” he said. “We’ve done that before. It’s worked out pretty well.”

Search consultant Jan Greenwood said she’s talked with 363 potential candidates, but expects just one to three top candidates to apply at the 11th hour. Some top candidates have been scared off by the state’s Sunshine Law requiring open meetings and public records, she said.

Faculty had previously been told that interviews would happen before the end of classes or wait until after the holidays. While the first set of days falls between the end of classes and start of finals, committee member Scott Nygren said the timing should work for faculty.

“It’s later than we originally thought but I think that it would work fine if we do it then,” said Nygren, an English professor and former chair of the UF Faculty Senate.