ALL HANDS ON DECK!
Technology has come a long way when it comes to navigation. From early astrolabes to modern autopilots, tech of all kinds has long been a critical tool. But at the end of the day, that’s what it is: a tool. What makes a journey is direction. A destination. A ship without a captain and destination is just a bunch of floating wood. A university without a President… well, it risks becoming adrift.
The University of Nebraska has a lot of moving parts. One in seven people in Nebraska work for the university in some capacity. There are hundreds of programs over several campuses. It takes a massive, well-coordinated crew not only to keep things running smoothly, but also to plot a course for the future that benefits the students, the staff, and the community as a whole. Key to that coordination is having an intelligent, conscientious, visionary leader who can help figure out how best to make that journey.
So you can see why not having a President is a problem.
Our current University of Nebraska President, Hank Bounds, is leaving in August. That gives us as Regents about three months to find someone who is going to continue the work of guiding the University in a positive direction. What I’ve discovered so far is that opinions on how to conduct that search are as plentiful and varied as fish in the sea. Do we search with a professional company? Do we search by committee? Will there be an interim President? If so, for how long? I sit with these questions and more daily, as do my colleagues. It feels like trying to build a massive piece of Ikea furniture with no pictures, no directions, not even in Swedish.
But hey, there are a lot of deeply dedicated people working together to figure this out. We should be in good shape, right? Don’t go breaking that bottle of champagne just yet. A key part of recruitment is having something amazing to offer. Okay, so, we know that University of Nebraska is an educational leader in a lot of ways (and probably one of the friendliest campuses you’ll find), but when the state is constantly slashing the budget and sacrificing valuable programs, that doesn’t really set us – or our President – up for success. You wouldn’t offer a top captain a ship riddled with holes or missing a rudder and expect them to be excited about it.
It’s no surprise that we are going to work our hardest to find the kind of qualified, skilled and dynamic leader that the University of Nebraska deserves. But let’s make sure that from the ground up and from the state down, we’re working to build a ship that any worthwhile candidate would be proud to sail.
*Barbara’s thoughts as written by Kate based on weekly (fascinating) conversations.
Hi Barbara,
my concern with the search committee is that they will put forward their own candidates, rather than a truly open search. Even though my understanding is that it will be 2-tiered, with one firm providing the candidates and another the vetting, we’re still being given a curated group. I can’t say that’s worked tremendously for us lately. I understand that given the budget cuts and other challenges, NU might not be the MOST competitive position, but at the same time, I feel like it should be a Dream Job for the right person. Although it increases the work of the committee, lets cast the net far and wide.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts.