Colin Keeney initiated his summary of the faculty’s position vaguely, waiting for the board members to ask the real questions. When they did ask, Keeney, the faculty senate chair, made it clear, “at this stage, I would advise against it.”
Despite recommendations from the faculty senate to take more time in officially selecting a president for the university, the Board of Trustees moved ahead and appointed Dr. Dick McGinity as president of the University of Wyoming in a 9-3 vote.
McGinity previously served as vice president for academic affairs at UW. His job duties under Sternberg included forming and supervising some of the evaluation task forces.
Dr. Sternberg, an individual whose selection as president some have considered secretive, resigned last year after making a series of changes to some departments.
The day of Sternberg’s resignation, Nov. 14, 2013, McGinity stepped up and filled the gap. McGinity gained the position of interim president Dec. 6, 2013.
Dave Bostrom, president of the board of trustees, said, “He has demonstrated his ability to lead the institution. Now is not the time, at a critical juncture in UW’s progression, to initiate a potentially unsuccessful search for outside candidates when one of the university’s own is willing and ready to handle the heavy responsibility.”
The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees met yesterday to discuss the policies circulating a possible change to Interim President Dr. Dick McGinity’s title. Policy issues revolved around the selection process the board is expected to follow and whether the employees of the university felt included in this process.
Faculty Senate, Staff Senate and ASUW representatives made their stances, based on the majority opinion of their constituencies, understood. Following the discussion, the floor opened for statements from the audience.
The faculty as a whole, according to Keeney, feels the search for a permanent president ought to endure a publicly debated, careful process.
“Let’s give this some time,” Keeney said. “Let’s not be stampeded into moving too quickly. We can’t stand still, we have to keep moving. I don’t think anybody’s going to question that Dick is fulfilling all the functions of the presidency, but if we just blatantly come out and name his as president, as opposed to interim president, for the time being, would not play well at all.”
After questions from board members Brad Mead, Warren Lauer and Richard Davis, Jr. the hot seat shifted to Staff Senate President Jim Logue.
Logue made clear that the staff is settling in different camps over the dispute. One portion leans less concernedly at titles and stare instead at whether the staff’s personal needs are being met.
“They don’t care who the boss is as long as the boss proceeds on their behalf,” Logue said.
The remaining staff senators feel differently though.
“I’ve heard concerns that we may be missing opportunities by not going through a formal search,” Logue noted.
ASUW President Brett Kahler provided little input from the student body. Kahler hosted open office hours for students to express concerns about the selection process this week, but few attended.
A quick open-statement forum brought individual deans and professors to the table to voice their questions or concerns.
Rick Miller, a lawyer for the university, pointed out certain bylaws of the Board of Trustees.
According to Article X, section 10-1: “It shall be the policy of the trustees to confer with an advisory committee from the university faculty and staff prior to the selection of a new president.”
The term “confer” lends ambiguity to the bylaw, however. One could interpret the meeting with faculty and staff as conferring, Miller said.
Pete Jorgensen, an ex-board member and Wyoming representative clarified that regardless of the decision, “this is not a business.”
“Remember the importance of academic freedom, and I caution you to maintain a responsible distance from the legislature,” Jorgensen said. “A lot of folks in this state are counting on you.”
Other faculty to make a point at the meeting included Maggie Farrell, Donald O’Toole and Dr. Khaled Gasem.
Following each speaker, Bostrom expressed the board’s appreciation for opinions before finally motioning to close the doors for executive sessions that jumbled the schedule for the rest of the day.
The schedule rearranged so much that Director of Public Relations Chad Baldwin said surprise struck him when the news of McGinity’s appointment came through.
Baldwin said about the situation, “We’re facing extraordinary circumstance that requires extraordinary action.”
