Category Archives: Administration

The Chronicle News Blog: Accreditor Faults U. of California on Management

The controversy over salary and benefits at the University of California may be a sign of an even wider problem.

The university’s regional accrediting agency, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, says it has conducted an investigation into the compensation matter that has led it to question some fundamental aspects of operations at the 214,000-student system.

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Austin American-Statesman: UT regents discuss border fence

Regents unanimously offer support for fence while criticizing plan to leave 166 acres of the campus on the other side.

University of Texas System regents, hoping to avoid a lawsuit by the federal government, called Wednesday for negotiations to resolve a dispute concerning a proposed border fence that would cut through parts of the campus of UT-Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

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The Chronicle: Tumult Hits Texas Tech, Again

Texas Tech University had reached some long-sought goals in recent years. It finally got a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, was being led by a popular and personable president, and had stabilized after years of leadership turnover.

Beginning in December, a series of bombshells hit. The university’s accreditor put the institution on probation (The Chronicle, December 17, 2007), a move its chancellor called a “public-relations nightmare.” By the beginning of this month, the president, Jon S. Whitmore, had announced his resignation (The Chronicle, February 4), followed three days later by the resignation of the best-known person on the campus, Bob Knight, the basketball coach (The Chronicle, February 6).

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Austin-American Statesman: UT regents discuss border fence

Regents unanimously offer support for fence while criticizing plan to leave 166 acres of the campus on the other side.

University of Texas System regents, hoping to avoid a lawsuit by the federal government, called Wednesday for negotiations to resolve a dispute concerning a proposed border fence that would cut through parts of the campus of UT-Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

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Inside Higher Ed: Next Generation President

Some high profile appointments — most notably Drew Faust at Harvard University last year — have created a sense that the college and university presidency is diversifying. Actually, while the numbers of women leading campuses have been increasing, the rate of growth has slowed, and the increases for non-white presidents have become minimal. In fact, the most dramatic change among college presidents in recent years may not be increased diversity, but increased longevity in office.

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Inside Higher Ed: In Colorado’s Chosen Chief, Faculty See Tenure Foe

The sole finalist to become president of the University of Colorado system was, as a state teachers’ union describes it, “the architect and chief proponent” of changes at Metropolitan State College of Denver that “eliminated tenure as we know it.” Bruce Benson, the owner and president of an oil and gas exploration and production company since 1965, served as chair of Metro State’s Board of Trustees during the 2003 policy alterations.

“Just to have someone like this who’s worked so hard to undermine academic freedom being the only person considered for the president at CU just blows our minds,” said David Sanger, president of the American Federation of Teachers’ Colorado chapter. The union sued over the 2003 changes to the faculty handbook, which deleted earlier protections ensuring that, in the event of layoffs, non-tenured faculty would lose their jobs before tenured professors and that the university would make efforts to relocate tenured faculty within the institution, in addition to changing hearing procedures.

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Rocky Mountain News: CU groups grill Benson

Skeptics unhappy with answers from finalist for top post

Oilman Bruce Benson moved to reassure skeptical University of Colorado students and faculty members Monday that he will respect academic freedom and not attack tenure if he is selected to lead the school.

But some campus leaders remained in doubt after more than three hours of meetings with the sole finalist for CU president.

Student co-President Charles Gilford III said Benson failed to provide clear answers on basic questions, such as his vision for the university.

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Inside Higher Ed: Taking Conflict of Interest Seriously

The session leaders asked for a show of hands. Who in a room filled largely with private college presidents knew that their institutions have conflict of interest policies that apply to individuals? Most arms shot into the air. No surprise there.

But in response to a similar question with only this slight twist — policies that apply to institutions — only a few tentative hands rose. Kathleen Santora, chief executive officer of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, said she wasn’t surprised by that result, either.

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The Denver Post: Benson finalist for CU chief

A prominent Republican businessman and education activist who has made millions on oil has been recommended as the sole finalist for the top job at the University of Colorado.

Bruce Benson was the top pick after almost four months of vetting more than 100 names through a 17-member search committee.

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AP: Lombardi blocks LSU involvement in environmental pact

BATON ROUGE (AP) — LSU President John Lombardi has blocked plans by the outgoing chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus to join the college “Presidents Climate Commitment” — an agreement to take various steps to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.

Chancellor Sean O’Keefe, whose last day is Friday, had planned Wednesday to commit the campus to efforts to become a more eco-friendly campus before stepping down. He said he was disappointed Lombardi chose to block the efforts of the LSU Environmental Conservation Organization that put a lot of hard work into the effort.

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Chicago Tribune: Controversial Chicago State University president stepping down

Elnora Daniel, the beleaguered president of Chicago State University, told colleagues Wednesday that she plans to retire, following a year in which her spending practices and leadership repeatedly came under fire.

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Red Orbit: KU Trustees Affirm Support for President

Jan. 25–In a move to fend off a faculty no-confidence vote on the leadership of F. Javier Cevallos, Kutztown University’s trustees closed ranks behind the university’s president Thursday at a meeting on campus.

“The council of trustees affirms unanimously its unwavering support for Pres. F. Javier Cevallos,” a resolution adopted by the council stated, “and encourages the (faculty union) executive council to reconsider its proposed action.”

The vote of confidence came one week after the campus leadership of the faculty union, the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Facilities, called for a no-confidence vote on Cevallos, president since 2002.

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Birmingham News: Former Alabama two-year chancellor pleading guilty to 15 counts

Former two-year college Chancellor Roy Johnson has agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors in a plea agreement announced this morning. Johnson’s agreement with the government implicates unnamed Alabama legislators who received jobs in the colleges and some state school board members.

Johnson has agreed to plead guilty to 15 counts of bribery, conspiracy, witness tampering and obstruction in a criminal scheme that tapped more than $18 million in taxpayer money, U.S. Attorney Alice Martin said in a news conference this morning. Johnson, 62, faces a maximum sentence of more than a dozen years in prison.

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Inside Higher Ed: A University President Backs McCain

Institutional neutrality is the much-invoked principle by which colleges and universities rarely take stands on public issues that don’t directly relate to higher education. Presidents — especially at public institutions — tend to invoke the principle in various forms with some regularity, trying not to speak out on causes bound to offend someone when they want as much support as possible on college budgets or other measures.

It’s that background that explains why many long-time followers of higher education and politics were stunned to learn that Bernie Machen, president of the University of Florida, has endorsed Sen. John McCain’s presidential bid. While the endorsement, released by the McCain campaign, included the expected “should in no way be construed as an endorsement by the University of Florida” line at the end of the announcement, the headline was pretty clear: “University of Florida President Bernie Machen Endorses John McCain for President.”

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The Chronicle News Blog: West Chester U. Cancels Presidential Search

The search for a new president of West Chester University of Pennsylvania has been canceled. In a letter to the campus today, Judy G. Hample, the chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, of which West Chester is part, said a new search would be started this spring to replace the university’s current president, Madeleine Wing Adler, who plans to retire in June.

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