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It's Official: Bodnar Stepping Down.

Good info here from the Commissioner of Higher Education on the UM Presidential search! Says they plan to conduct an expedited search to have somebody in place within a couple months max and possibly even within a few weeks which seems kinda crazy lol. Says at this time they're not gonna appoint an interim president since they plan to move so quickly. I agree with him that UM does not need a hard reset as there's lots of good things happening, but I hope they recognize that they need someone who can take those good things and kick them into overdrive! I personally would like to see somebody with a Marketing driven brain and someone who is so geared on winning with every facet of the University. Should be interesting to see how it plays out!
 
Griz til I die said:
Good info here from the Commissioner of Higher Education on the UM Presidential search! Says they plan to conduct an expedited search to have somebody in place within a couple months max and possibly even within a few weeks which seems kinda crazy lol. Says at this time they're not gonna appoint an interim president since they plan to move so quickly. I agree with him that UM does not need a hard reset as there's lots of good things happening, but I hope they recognize that they need someone who can take those good things and kick them into overdrive! I personally would like to see somebody with a Marketing driven brain and someone who is so geared on winning with every facet of the University. Should be interesting to see how it plays out!
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Clay is going to appoint himself again, isn't he?
 
Griz til I die said:
Good info here from the Commissioner of Higher Education on the UM Presidential search! Says they plan to conduct an expedited search to have somebody in place within a couple months max and possibly even within a few weeks which seems kinda crazy lol. Says at this time they're not gonna appoint an interim president since they plan to move so quickly. I agree with him that UM does not need a hard reset as there's lots of good things happening, but I hope they recognize that they need someone who can take those good things and kick them into overdrive! I personally would like to see somebody with a Marketing driven brain and someone who is so geared on winning with every facet of the University. Should be interesting to see how it plays out!
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Make Montana Great Again.
 
Griz til I die said:
Good info here from the Commissioner of Higher Education on the UM Presidential search! Says they plan to conduct an expedited search to have somebody in place within a couple months max and possibly even within a few weeks which seems kinda crazy lol. Says at this time they're not gonna appoint an interim president since they plan to move so quickly. I agree with him that UM does not need a hard reset as there's lots of good things happening, but I hope they recognize that they need someone who can take those good things and kick them into overdrive! I personally would like to see somebody with a Marketing driven brain and someone who is so geared on winning with every facet of the University. Should be interesting to see how it plays out!
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We’re at an absolutely pivotal inflection point for the university and they’re just gonna rubber stamp some half-vetted candidate in a couple weeks/months?

Good fucking lord, what are we doing?

This actually pisses me off. Take the time to find the best candidate. You’re picking a leader for the next 1-2 decades in the best case that’s going to shape the direction of OUR university for the rest of almost everyone here’s lives.
 
uofmman1122 said:
We’re at an absolutely pivotal inflection point for the university and they’re just gonna rubber stamp some half-vetted candidate in a couple weeks/months?

Good fucking lord, what are we doing?

This actually pisses me off. Take the time to find the best candidate. You’re picking a leader for the next 1-2 decades in the best case that’s going to shape the direction of OUR university for the rest of almost everyone here’s lives.
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I started thinking about this a little bit today and I can come up with two possible scenarios for why they would move so quick with the search:

1. A lot of the same candidates that applied for the msu president position will also be interested in the UM position. Given that they just wrapped up the msu search, OCHE and the BOR are likely already very familiar with a lot of the candidates. Therefore it’s fresh in their minds and there’s not a lot of vetting to do.

2. There’s an internal candidate on the UM campus that they’re eyeing. Who that could be? I really have no idea, but that seems like it could be a possibility.

I don’t think they’re gonna try and force a square peg into a round hole. I think if it takes two months, that will give them enough time to recruit and vet candidates for the position. Especially if they’re working around the clock to make a hire. What else do they have to do right now any way? The next BOR meeting isn’t until mid March so they might as well make themselves useful for the next two months and start vetting/interviewing candidates.
 
Griz til I die said:
I started thinking about this a little bit today and I can come up with two possible scenarios for why they would move so quick with the search:

1. A lot of the same candidates that applied for the msu president position will also be interested in the UM position. Given that they just wrapped up the msu search, OCHE and the BOR are likely already very familiar with a lot of the candidates. Therefore it’s fresh in their minds and there’s not a lot of vetting to do.

2. There’s an internal candidate on the UM campus that they’re eyeing. Who that could be? I really have no idea, but that seems like it could be a possibility.

I don’t think they’re gonna try and force a square peg into a round hole. I think if it takes two months, that will give them enough time to recruit and vet candidates for the position. Especially if they’re working around the clock to make a hire. What else do they have to do right now any way? The next BOR meeting isn’t until mid March so they might as well make themselves useful for the next two months and start vetting/interviewing candidates.
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1. Okay, maybe. That seems a little weird given the requirements of the two jobs are extremely different and the universities are going in different directions that require much different skills and strategies in a leader, but I suppose it makes sense.

2. This is exactly what I don’t want. I really feel like we need someone who can come in and actually shake up the cobwebs in the university from top to bottom, and I don’t see someone internal doing that.

You can call me pessimistic, and I’m open to the idea that this could all somehow work out, but rushing a process that normally takes over a year, especially given the clear lack of institutional vision on campus right now seems like we’re getting railroaded into yet again not properly meeting the moment.
 
uofmman1122 said:
1. Okay, maybe. That seems a little weird given the requirements of the two jobs are extremely different and the universities are going in different directions that require much different skills and strategies in a leader, but I suppose it makes sense.

2. This is exactly what I don’t want. I really feel like we need someone who can come in and actually shake up the cobwebs in the university from top to bottom, and I don’t see someone internal doing that.

You can call me pessimistic, and I’m open to the idea that this could all somehow work out, but rushing a process that normally takes over a year, especially given the clear lack of institutional vision on campus right now seems like we’re getting railroaded into yet again not properly meeting the moment.
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Ok but why does it need to take a year? What about the process takes so long that it requires a year? I’d actually be really concerned if it did take a year. Especially since there would need to be a lot of big time decisions that need to be made in the meantime. I personally don’t think they’re gonna go with an internal candidate because there’s nobody I can think of that even remotely qualifies. Maybe Suzanne Tilleman? But I doubt it.

They’re using a search firm and I think that’ll help speed along the process. Plus like I said, Christian and the BOR have nothing better to do right now any way so they might as well work around the clock and get this done sooner rather than later. Christian mentioned in the interview that he wants somebody who’s a fundraiser. That to me says they’re looking for an external candidate. I say trust the process. There will be no lack of interest this time around compared to last time.
 
Griz til I die said:
Ok but why does it need to take a year? What about the process takes so long that it requires a year? I’d actually be really concerned if it did take a year. Especially since there would need to be a lot of big time decisions that need to be made in the meantime. I personally don’t think they’re gonna go with an internal candidate because there’s nobody I can think of that even remotely qualifies. Maybe Suzanne Tilleman? But I doubt it.

They’re using a search firm and I think that’ll help speed along the process. Plus like I said, Christian and the BOR have nothing better to do right now any way so they might as well work around the clock and get this done sooner rather than later. Christian mentioned in the interview that he wants somebody who’s a fundraiser. That to me says they’re looking for an external candidate. I say trust the process. There will be no lack of interest this time around compared to last time.
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No, you’re right. Pretty much every university president search across the country takes a considerable amount of time, but we’ll be fine if we do it in a few weeks because it’s more convenient for us. Ensuring the next 6 months go smoothly is surely more important than positioning UM for the next decade.

I’m not trying to be a dick here, but we cannot afford to get this wrong. I have no faith that an expedited search over only a few weeks will land us the leader we need going forward who is willing to make the substantial changes our university needs to make.

This hire is either going to be the moment that we finally start clawing back against the supremacy that MSU has over us in pretty much all aspects, or it will solidify us the second fiddle school in the state for the foreseeable future. I want them to take all the time they need to make sure it’s the former.
 
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uofmman1122 said:
No, you’re right. Pretty much every university president search across the country takes a considerable amount of time, but we’ll be fine if we do it in a few weeks because it’s more convenient for us. Ensuring the next 6 months go smoothly is surely more important than positioning UM for the next decade.

I’m not trying to be a dick here, but we cannot afford to get this wrong. I have no faith that an expedited search over only a few weeks will land us the leader we need going forward who is willing to make the substantial changes our university needs to make.

This hire is either going to be the moment that we finally start clawing back against the supremacy that MSU has over us in pretty much all aspects, or it will solidify us the second fiddle school in the state for the foreseeable future. I want them to take all the time they need to make sure it’s the former.
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I’m with you! And I get it, it’s a huge hire! I tend to think it’s gonna take more like a couple months then it will a couple weeks. They will get good candidates and I’m confident we will get a new leader who’s outgoing and will do everything in their power to advance UM to the next level! We’ll just have to see how it all plays out!
 
uofmman1122 said:
No, you’re right. Pretty much every university president search across the country takes a considerable amount of time, but we’ll be fine if we do it in a few weeks because it’s more convenient for us. Ensuring the next 6 months go smoothly is surely more important than positioning UM for the next decade.

I’m not trying to be a dick here, but we cannot afford to get this wrong. I have no faith that an expedited search over only a few weeks will land us the leader we need going forward who is willing to make the substantial changes our university needs to make.

This hire is either going to be the moment that we finally start clawing back against the supremacy that MSU has over us in pretty much all aspects, or it will solidify us the second fiddle school in the state for the foreseeable future. I want them to take all the time they need to make sure it’s the former.
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The president search page just went live on the UM website and the home page of it gives a link to Christian's email and phone number where you can provide comment/recommendations on what you'd like to see in the next president. I'm planning on reaching out today and would encourage others to do so as well!

www.umt.edu

University of Montana President Search

www.umt.edu
 
it seems to me that they must already have somebody in mind for the job, and the favored person knows it, but they still have to follow the usual protocol and pretend to consider other candidates.
 
these searches always tweak the faculty out, because they usually fear that someone will come in and change a lot without involving the faculty in the final choice. i've experience a new university president who made wholesale changes to the administrative structure, with faculty members winding up into different departments, that sort of thing. he managed to consolidate power to himself and a few loyal assistants. he also weakened the faculty in terms of decision making, which of course did not go over well.
 
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