The University of Michigan hired - some would say stole - West Virginia University's previous football and basketball coaches. Why doesn't WVU return the favor and steal Michigan's president?
Prior to becoming president of Rutgers University, Dr. Richard L. McCormick, who holds a Ph.D. in history from Yale University, was the chairman of Rutgers' history department and later served as Rutgers' dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science. He moved on to become executive vice chancellor, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was president of the University of Washington immediately prior to becoming president of Rutgers.
Dr. Nancy Cantor, chancellor and president of Syracuse University, held a number of administrative jobs in academia before assuming her current position. She was chair of the psychology department at Princeton and dean of the graduate school, and later provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Michigan. In addition to serving as Syracuse's chancellor and president, she is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.
University of Connecticut President Michael Hogan is a specialist in the history of American Diplomacy - doubtlessly a helpful background to have in his position. Prior to becoming UConn's president, Dr. Hogan served as executive vice president and provost at the University of Iowa, where he was also the F. Wendell Miller Professor of History. Before this, he was executive dean of the College of the Arts and Sciences at Ohio State University. This latter job evolved into an autonomous position with oversight of five colleges and 41 departments.
It is easy to imagine any one of these presidents serving as the president of West Virginia University - or any other university in the country. It is impossible to imagine WVU's outgoing president even being offered an interview for the job of president at any of these universities.
WVU need not be a follower in all things - or even in most things. We pride ourselves on our innovations - and our innovators. But given that the previous search for a WVU president led, in a lamentably quick amount of time, to an academic scandal that saw WVU's name ridiculed across the world, it is essential that this next search produce a president of impeccable qualifications.
Could the candidate be hired, or at least considered seriously, at any university in the country?
If the answer is no, we will need to say so - loudly.
Brazaitis is an associate professor of English and director of the Creative Writing Program at WVU, as well as a spokesman for Mountaineers for Integrity and Responsibility.
The University of Michigan hired - some would say stole - West Virginia University's previous football and basketball coaches.
Why doesn't WVU return the favor and steal Michigan's president?
She would be well-qualified for the job: Mary Sue Coleman was a member of the biochemistry faculty at the University of Kentucky for 19 years before assuming administrative positions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of New Mexico, where she served as provost and vice president of academic affairs. Immediately prior to her appointment as Michigan president, Dr. Coleman served as president of the University of Iowa from 1995 to 2002.
If WVU can't hire Dr. Coleman, it can certainly seek candidates with her qualifications. Indeed, one question the WVU community must ask of each presidential hopeful is this: Is he or she qualified to be the president of any university in the country?
For West Virginia University to retain its reputation as a top-flight institution of higher learning in the wake of a devastating scandal, it must cast its net as far as possible in its presidential search.
It must be open to candidates who have little or no connection to the state of West Virginia or WVU.
It must insist on candidates who have significant experience in higher education and whose careers have been models of academic integrity.
It must consider candidates of all races and both genders, and during its search, it must give legitimate consideration, rather than lip service, to the myriad voices of the WVU community.
For a more specific sense of what constitutes a qualified president, WVU would be wise to look at universities it considers its peers. Take for example the presidents of the first three Big East football schools WVU will compete against this fall:
Prior to becoming president of Rutgers University, Dr. Richard L. McCormick, who holds a Ph.D. in history from Yale University, was the chairman of Rutgers' history department and later served as Rutgers' dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science. He moved on to become executive vice chancellor, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was president of the University of Washington immediately prior to becoming president of Rutgers.
Dr. Nancy Cantor, chancellor and president of Syracuse University, held a number of administrative jobs in academia before assuming her current position. She was chair of the psychology department at Princeton and dean of the graduate school, and later provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Michigan. In addition to serving as Syracuse's chancellor and president, she is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.
University of Connecticut President Michael Hogan is a specialist in the history of American Diplomacy - doubtlessly a helpful background to have in his position. Prior to becoming UConn's president, Dr. Hogan served as executive vice president and provost at the University of Iowa, where he was also the F. Wendell Miller Professor of History. Before this, he was executive dean of the College of the Arts and Sciences at Ohio State University. This latter job evolved into an autonomous position with oversight of five colleges and 41 departments.
It is easy to imagine any one of these presidents serving as the president of West Virginia University - or any other university in the country. It is impossible to imagine WVU's outgoing president even being offered an interview for the job of president at any of these universities.
WVU need not be a follower in all things - or even in most things. We pride ourselves on our innovations - and our innovators. But given that the previous search for a WVU president led, in a lamentably quick amount of time, to an academic scandal that saw WVU's name ridiculed across the world, it is essential that this next search produce a president of impeccable qualifications.
Could the candidate be hired, or at least considered seriously, at any university in the country?
If the answer is no, we will need to say so - loudly.
Brazaitis is an associate professor of English and director of the Creative Writing Program at WVU, as well as a spokesman for Mountaineers for Integrity and Responsibility.
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We now have a "Sopranos-like" image. And it is justified.
The perps at WVU are still there-rewarded for their actions and keeping quiet with lifetime six figure incomes & benefits: WV "open for business" as usual.