Page 267 - Crisis in Higher Education

238 • Crisis in Higher Education

“best foot forward,” and search committees rarely see their weaknesses,
whereas the weaknesses of internal candidates are readily apparent.
It may not be possible to go back to the days when faculty would
rotate through the presidency or the VP of finance. The presidency has
become far more complex, and it needs someone with substantial admin-
istrative skills and experience who understands academia. A president is
not the primary academic leader; that is the provost’s job. Presidents are
fundraisers, politicians, and relationship builders, among other things.
The president could be a faculty member who has worked his or her way
up the ladder and is prepared for the job, but it may not be possible to
find that person through an internal search. VPs of finance have become
more than budgeting officers who ensure that spending does not exceed
revenue. They are experts in capital formation, investing, and risk man-
agement. Universities can no longer afford to have a history or biology
professor who knows little about finance in this important position.
Having said this, it is time to hire tenured faculty, who are currently
at the university, for leadership positions, including provosts, VPs, deans,
and other high-level jobs where academic credentials and experiences
are vital. They understand the environment, know the people, and, most
important, have an incentive to make good decisions because they must
live with their choices when they return to the faculty. They provide a
sense of continuity and history that is lacking with professional manag-
ers hired from the outside. When universities fill these key positions time
after time with external hires, they lose these benefits, break the bond
between administration and the faculty, and send a strong message that
“insider faculty” are second-class citizens—unqualified and unacceptable.
Next, a faculty resource council (FRC) should be created to give faculty
direct and unfettered access to the board, president, and leadership team.
In addition to providing knowledge and awareness for top management,
it would represent faculty in strategic planning, resource allocation, and
budgeting. It would have the ability to discuss the impact of budget deci-
sions on successfully engaging in research and effectively designing and
delivering educational programs. The chair of the FRC would be a member
of the president’s leadership team and represent faculty at board meetings.
The FRC would be a small group with representation from each college,
and membership would be determined by faculty votes. Administrators
who are academic department chairs or higher such as associate dean,
deans, and assistant vice provosts would not be eligible. The reason for
the exclusion should be clear: people holding these positions have a strong