USGFC: Chancellor Search (Feedback Requested by 2 Dec 2010)

Colleagues,

As the representative of the University System of Georgia Faculty Council (USGFC) and one of three representatives of the USG faculty on the chancellor search committee, I invite each of you [in consultation with faculty colleagues at your institution] to assist me in the preparation of a list of qualities and characteristics desirable in the next Chancellor. 

Any feedback that you can provide will be greatly appreciated.  The chancellor search committee will be meeting early in December 2010 so there is a relatively short turnaround for this feedback.  Ideally, feedback would be provided no later than 2 December 2010.  

Such input may also be provided individually by any faculty member [including you] directly to me via email (craig.turner@gcsu.edu) or phone (478.445.0973).
Another mechanism by which an individual may provide feedback to the search committee is by clicking on the "Give Feedback to the Search Committee" link in the right margin of the USG Chancellor Search web presence http://www.usg.edu/chancellor_search 

At the recent USGFC meeting (Friday 19 Nov 2010), the chancellor search was a topic.  Below is a DRAFT of the meeting minutes pertaining to this conversation.  As these minutes are still in preparation, this language might be modified before these minutes become official.  

Dr. Herbst solicited comments and suggestions from the USGFC members for desirable qualities and characteristics of the next Chancellor. These included:

• significant experience in higher education, as tenured professor possibly
• significant experience in leading a faculty body (academic governance) at some point in her/his career
• possesses an educational vision and understands the academic culture
• understands what it means to have a liberal arts education
• consults and listens prior to making decisions or implementing new initiatives (such as centralization)
• sells rather than tells
• understands, appreciates, and celebrates the uniqueness and differences of the USG institutions
• interested in addressing the attrition of graduate degrees and lowering student/faculty ratios
• interested in reversing the proliferation of contingent (part-time, adjunct, temporary) faculty
• sensitive to faculty morale as it affects students

Later in the meeting, the reporting structure of the University Presidents was considered and one more desirable quality was added.

In short there are three groups:  Four Research University Presidents to Chancellor Davis, Fifteen Comprehensive University Presidents (plus SklO Director) to Executive Vice Chancellor Herbst, and Sixteen Two Year and State College President to Chief Operating Officer Watts (Insert a link to the BoR Organization Chart here).  After some discussion, there was general consensus that another desirable quality of the new Chancellor would be one open to a reconsideration of this reporting structure.  Dr. Linda Noble agreed to advocate for this position with the appropriate contacts at the USG offices.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this email request.  I also invite your suggestions on how I might represent the interests of faculty on the chancellor search committee.  I look forward to hearing from each of you.

Respectfully,

Craig Turner

Additional details regarding the chancellor search1.  As you likely know, Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. has announced his intention to retire at the conclusion of this fiscal year.   
     http://www.usg.edu/news/release/erroll_b._davis_jr._announces_plans_to_retire_as_university_system_head/
2.  A search for a new chancellor is in progress.  The USG has created a web presence to provide informational updates on the progress of this search.  The url for this web presence is http://www.usg.edu/chancellor_search   To this point, available at this web presence is 
(a)  A statement from the search committee chair, Regent Kessell Sterling
(b)  The membership of the search committee
(c)  A description of the search firm, R. William Funk & Associates
(d)  An opportunity to inform the search by nominating a candidate for consideration or offering feedback to the committee
(e)  A list of "USG Facts"

3.  The Chancellor Search Committee has twenty members and includes three USG faculty:  
Dr. Hugh Hudson, Professor of History at Georgia State University and Executive Secretary of the Georgia Conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP); 
Dr. Lin Mei, Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics at the Medical College of Georgia; and
Dr. Craig Turner, Professor of Mathematics at Georgia College & State University and representative of the USG Faculty Council; 

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Craig Turner
Professor of Mathematics
Georgia College & State University 
Milledgeville, GA 31061
478.445.0973
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