The University of Akron’s search for a new provost will be conducted by one of the nation’s top higher education headhunters, R. William Funk & Associate, but not without criticism.
The outspoken Advocates for the University of Akron, Students and Faculty recently sent a seven-page letter to the Dallas firm calling for a search for a new president rather than a new No. 2 person.
The search firm has conducted more than 400 searches for college and university chancellors and presidents in the last 20 years, involving about 80 institutions where the firm has made placements.
That number includes UA, which used the firm to help search for a new president when current leader Scott Scarborough was selected as a finalist.
UA spokesman Wayne Hill said because the university has had previous experience with Funk, “the firm knows the university and is able to assist immediately.”
The UA administration hired the company and is paying $100,000 as a retainer fee plus a 10 percent, $10,000 administrative fee and out-of-pocket expenses, such as advertising and travel.
The contract was below $500,000, so it did not require approval from UA’s board of trustees.
In its critical letter, the group made up of UA alumni, donors, retirees, students and others said the university should be searching for a new president rather than a provost because of Scarborough’s “incompetent leadership.”
The letter was signed by community leaders Rebecca Considine, Louise Harvey, William Walden and Jane Bond.
“He’s not trusted, lacks credibility and lacks all traits of a respected CEO. He is not a leader and has lost all ability in developing relationships,” the letter states. “To pursue this approach in the face of enormous opposition from all constituent groups of our University is totally irresponsible.”
Caution on turmoil
The letter cautions the search firm to inform potential candidates of the current turmoil at the university.
The group’s letter lists what it calls examples of failed leadership, including: UA’s contract with a start-up company for student counseling, the university’s recent announcement that it’s reimbursing student fees the state determined were improper hikes, the decision to abolish the baseball team, the removal of the name “Akron” from uniform and signage and the rebranding of UA as “Ohio’s Polytechnic University.”
The group also criticized the administration for having search committees as an “afterthought” for the new athletic director and the deans of Summit College and the Honors College.
The group states that if the provost search proceeds, the board of trustees needs to address the president’s “incompetency and failure to lead.”
Faculty and university staff need to be included in developing a candidate pool for the provost, and deans should dominate the search committee, rank the candidates, select the finalist and then take it to the board, the group concluded.
John Zipp, president of the Akron-American Association of University Professors bargaining unit, said the contract addresses the provost search, saying six faculty members “shall have the opportunity to discuss orally with the full board in executive session, their collective views with respect to each finalist candidate.”
The subcommittee consists of six representatives, three selected by the Akron-AAUP, whose names have already been submitted, and three selected by the Faculty Senate.
The Faculty Senate voted Thursday on its three members.
“We don’t get to select. We get to interview the finalists,” Faculty Senate President Bill Rich said. “Traditionally the search committee included teachers, deans and school directors. Those are the people who are the best people to evaluate the new chief. That’s who the provost will be working with. They all report to the provost.”
Hill said the six members will make up one subcommittee.
“Those members will meet with the full board and president in the beginning of the process to talk about the ideal characteristics for the individual candidates,” Hill said. “Then when the search committee [board and president] gets down to the finalists stage those faculty members will meet with the finalists and make a report to the search committee in executive session with their reviews and thoughts on the candidates.”
Other groups
He said the rest of the constituency groups are being put together as well, before the actual search gets underway. At least five additional advisory groups made up of deans, department chairs, student representatives, the leadership team and community leaders will assist in the process to find a provost, who serves as the university’s chief academic officer.
The position of provost was vacated at the end of last year by William M. “Mike” Sherman, who stepped down to take another position at UA. Sherman, who earned $250,000 as provost, is currently the vice president of innovation and economic development, as well as chief operating officer of the University of Akron Research Foundation.
Sherman retired in 2013 and was rehired to the same post. Under the school’s retire/rehire policy, he wouldn’t have been able to continue as provost past the academic year. His $250,000 salary remains the same.
Senior vice provost Rex Ramsier is serving as the interim senior vice president and provost until a new provost is named. His salary is $242,000.
At last week’s Faculty Senate meeting, Ramsier said he would wait to read the job description before deciding whether to apply for the position.
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.