A “high-powered American institution” is what System President John Lombardi wants the University to become under a new chancellor. And the Chancellor Search Committee determined what qualities the administration needs to achieve the goal when they met for the first time Monday. Lombardi said he wants to find a leader with experience in higher education and an understanding of the University’s competition. “We find that the better candidates are those who need to be nurtured a bit,” said Bill Funk, owner of the Dallas-based search firm elected to consult the Committee. “It’s not that they’re not interested. They want to be sure what they’re getting into.” “One of the things we expect from a chancellor is to help the institution increase its revenue stream,” Lombardi said. Lombardi said for the University community to get what they want and need, it costs money. “You want to have a chancellor who can figure out how to take advantage of what the institution has to leverage ever-increasing revenue to re-invest back into the quality of the place,” Lombardi said. He also said the University needs someone who can improve the quality of the campus for the students, faculty and staff. “One of the activities we do is a recruitment,” Lombardi said. “That is, we try to help recruit people who … want to be committed in the life of the institution.” Lombardi said the most important thing is to find somebody who wants to join the University and is energized enough to make something special out of it. “The end-game of this is get somebody who really wants to be here,” Lombardi said. “Not somebody who sees this as a short stop to somewhere else.” Jack Hamilton, dean of the Manship School of Mass Communication and Committee chair, said he would like to have a new chancellor before the beginning of the fall semester. Funk said his firm will make extensive background checks on applicants, including criminal and financial. He plans to release advertisements for the University’s chancellor search in publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, Diversity Issues in Education, Hispanic Outlook Magazine and Women in Higher Education. Information about candidates will not be released until they have submitted a formal application to Funk’s firm. “The purpose of the Search Committee is to persuade everybody in whom we come in contact with that there is no better thing for their lives and their careers than to join this institution,” Lombardi said. Lee Griffin, retired bank executive and member of the Committee, said it is hard to recruit in Louisiana, and the Committee may have to look abroad to find candidates. “[Baton Rouge] is the best kept secret of the United States,” Griffin said. “We’re not only a selection Committee; we’re a sales Committee.” Funk said the search for higher education administration may pose competition for the Committee, but he said Lombardi has enough prestige and influence that people will want to work for him. Institutions like University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, University of North Carolina at Chapel HIll, University of California System, Texas Tech University, University of Wisconsin at Madison and Indiana State University are currently trying to fill their top administrative posts. “Are we going to find someone who has [all the qualities]? – No.” Lombardi said. “What you want is to get the best package of skills and attributes you can find.”
—-Contact J.J. Alcantara at [email protected]