It’s not that I was expecting being a Regent to be a cakewalk. Quite the opposite. And with 300 page reports that come out a week before each committee meeting that deserve a full and detailed read, I’m no stranger to long hours or hard work.

Even so, I’ve been surprised by the amount of time required to seek a new President for the University of Nebraska. Just recently the required reading for the week was at a staggering 800 pages. Let me tell you, that leaves barely enough time to eat and breathe. Forget sleep.

But the commitment of all twenty-three people on the committee to be at every meeting has been remarkable – everyone from Fortune 500 CEO’s to our 4th year med student.

And while there are long days, it’s also a joy to work with such a diverse group of people.

The process has changed significantly since the search for President Bounds. Legislative changes to the process have greatly increased the willingness of interesting qualified candidates to come forward. The biggest difference is that we promise potential candidates confidentiality throughout the process until the board votes to identify a primary candidate.

Then we only announce the primary candidate’s name after he or she is elected by a vote.

Previously, we were legally required to announce the names of the top four candidates forwarded to the board for consideration. What that meant for the candidates is that they had a 1 in 4 chance of landing the position, which really complicated things for those who weren’t selected. That kind of public candidacy could potentially imply that they weren’t happy in their existing position (not necessarily the case) and hurt their ongoing efficacy.

Hence the reluctance of many to even engage in the process.

Now how it works is the Search Advisory Committee forwards names for consideration to the board. The Regents there review the candidates and select one as their primary candidate. This person then spends the next thirty days visiting with all the constituencies across the state to answer questions, which gives all those interested an opportunity to vet their next potential President. After thirty days the committee meets again to vote – yes or no – on the candidate.

If for some reason the candidate or the board decide against the person, the process starts again.

Despite the long nights, the heavy reading, the impossible schedule, I’m feeling hopeful about where we’re headed. I think we can get it right the first time.

*Barbara’s thoughts as written by Kate based on weekly (fascinating) conversations.