New UM President - Athletics?

[Silvertip]

Frankly, I'm not certain you understand the process well enough, Tip. If you did, I think you'd understand the numbers on the Committee.

As for the comments on the make-up of the committee, I see far more than just two people with "real-world" experience. And regarding those with academia experience, who else would you want making the recommendation? I wouldn't bring in a bunch of engineers to make a decision on who should be a hospital administrator. I'd bring in people who understand medicine. Likewise with academics. Trust me, this is how it's done at every university in the country.

And FWIW, from my knowledge of the candidates, Engstrom was the top dog all along. Remember folks, the state of Montana pays their university presidents at a scale much lower than most state universities pay their provosts. You just ain't going to get the likes of vice presidents of Stanford, MIT, and Northwestern to apply.

E Griz: It's not the process I take exception to as much as the size of the committee. Getting feedback from the full spectrum of academia makes sense, but having 20 members on the search committee implies that they all have a vote in making the final selections? Bio medicine, geology, law, etc - they're all going to have turf to protect. And that probably shows up in the voting. Twenty is just too damned many for the reasons given in my earlier post. I don't know that UM's search for a prexy failing to attract candidates from a Stanford, MIT or Northwestern , but instead a Bemidji State, Linfield or Western State, is germane to the discussion. Former presidents Bucklew and Koch are examples (much like our coaches) of people who came in with promise, spent their time, and went on to bigger and more prestigious jobs. I may be wrong, but the whole process seems terribly laborious and unnecessarily political.

 

[grizpack]

I do like that he has some Husker blood in him!!

 

[Silvertip]

BTW, whereas Idaho's AD was on their search committee no member of the athletic department was represented in the UM group.

 

[Grisly Fan]

Interesting observation. If you had 3 or 4 people doing the search/hiring you might not include an athletics representative but tell me that 1 spot out of 20 couldn't be from athletics? Or make it 21, not like one more is going to ruin the process. I think it shows a significant amount of disrespect for a significant cointributor to school revenue. Kill UM sports and who is going to pay for their new buildings (besides the Washingtons)? If nothing else happens I hope the new president invites athletics to the decision table in the future.

 

[IdaGriz01]

BTW, whereas Idaho's AD was on their search committee no member of the athletic department was represented in the UM group.

That stuck out like a sore thumb to me too ... but I decided to not go there. I didn't do a survey -- not worth that much effort -- but it makes me wonder how many search committees do have a rep from athletics.

Later add: Just for fun, I checked the backgrounds of the non-academic members of the UM search committee -- wondering basically if there was anyone who might have an extra modicum of understanding about the university's athletic cash cow. I found it rather scary (scary bad!).

There are only five who qualify as non-academic -- the rest are professors, students, or work in school administration. (One is listed as "teacher certification facilitator," whatever the hell that is).

Of the five non-academics, one is a bureaucrat for the U.S. Dept of Agriculture, while the other is an ex-legislator who -- as far as I can tell -- has never held a real job. The other three have jobs in the "real world" -- real estate title insurance (Board of Regents vice chair), Blue Cross administrator (alumni association), and a Missoula businessman (UM Foundation).

Not much obvious love for athletics ... and damn little for potential employers who might actually want to hire UM graduates. (I won't get on that soapbox of mine any more than that.)

 

[wbtfg]

And FWIW, from my knowledge of the candidates, Engstrom was the top dog all along.

Who were the other candidates?

 

[Spanky]

Were there any?

 

[Grizbacker1]

It sounds like the only finalist for the job of president at UM is current Provost Royce Engstrom. Does anyone know anything about him? Is he a King George clone? Is he an advocate for athletics? Would he rather see Wa-Griz as a nature conservatory? Just curious what anyone knows about him.

There's a familiar ring here whether it be hiring an AD or hiring a President. After much ballyhoo with "national searches" the final selections seem to move toward picking a home boy. We all remember the five experienced people from FBS programs who were paraded into town before the AD job fell to O'Day. Now you've got another search boiling down to a couple of out-of-state candidates who drop out leaving the door open to another campus regular. Question: How seriously is the search committe vetting these people? The last time I saw anything like this it came out of a banana republic...and I'm not talking about a store.

One thing that is consistent on this board is dipshits like you who seem to think you know everything. You couldn't run a Kool-Ade stand. Please tell us one acheivement you have had, besides an abortion attempt by your mother. :loser:

 

[kemajic]

There's a familiar ring here whether it be hiring an AD or hiring a President. After much ballyhoo with "national searches" the final selections seem to move toward picking a home boy. We all remember the five experienced people from FBS programs who were paraded into town before the AD job fell to O'Day. Now you've got another search boiling down to a couple of out-of-state candidates who drop out leaving the door open to another campus regular. Question: How seriously is the search committe vetting these people? The last time I saw anything like this it came out of a banana republic...and I'm not talking about a store.

A Provost hired via a national search just three years ago who had never seen the UM campus prior to 2007 is a "home boy?" Amazing.

You would not hire an outside Provost that was not expected to be a key Pres candidate when you know the Pres is gone in three years. It's called succession; the key decisions were made three years ago; it's been his to lose. They've had three years to see what he can do; no surprises. I can't knock that process.

 

[Silvertip]

Ah, GB1. The same GB1 who years ago sent PM's that I routinely ignored? What rock have you been living under all this time? Now to the serious moment. You are one sick puppy and the copy that goes with your avatar says it best. "I love it when they play dead."... perfect words for a carrion seeking vulture who likes targets best when they stand still. FYI, my mother worked in the maternity ward at St Pats saving lives, not taking them... And you're pathetic.

 

[wbtfg]

How did UM presidential search only yeild one candidate?

http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_8096368c-b64d-11df-b25a-001cc4c002e0.html

 

[wbtfg]

Bump...

Fun to read though people's initial thoughts on the hiring of President Engstrom.

 

[griz4life]

There is no way Royce Engstrom was the best candidate out of 40. As for faculty support, friends of mine who worked very closely with Engstrom worried that he didn't have the backbone to lead UM, Western, Tech and the CCs. My conern was research and commercialization, where UM has been on a very slow path for 20 years.

I think the emails we've been reading about get to the bakbone issue. Engstrom seems to have drowned in group think for months before reacting in a desperate panic. Now his university and community are stuck in a first of it's kind federal rape investigation while Royce is vacationing in Australia.
But hey, Pat Williams tells the Missoulian the Regents fully support Engstrom and that Griz supporters are just irrational. So, everything must be OK.

 

[Spanky]

Hard to believe he is on vacation in Australia when UM is in a crisis situation. Maybe he is updating his resume....not a bad idea.

 

[tnt]

Hard to believe he is on vacation in Australia when UM is in a crisis situation. Maybe he is updating his resume....not a bad idea.

Wasn't one of the TV stations reporting the BOR was wanting copies of the "pertinent" emails???