The University of Memphis Presidential Advisory Committee will hold a meeting Thursday evening in hopes of clearing up some details regarding the selection of the final four candidates chosen to be interviewed for the position of U of M president.
The firm of Heidrick and Struggles was hired to find the presidential candidates based on criteria set by the advisory committee. The list of candidates included those who were nominated by others, individuals who applied and those who were chosen by Charles Knapp, head-hunter for the firm.
The final four candidates were presented to the advisory committee by the firm, though some members of the committee did not feel the four were strong enough and asked that the list be re-examined.
A list of 32 individuals who either applied or were nominated for the position, as received by the Tennessee Board of Regents, was presented to the advisory board this past Friday after faculty members complained about the lack of faculty input in the selection process. There were 18 applicants for the position, with one being one of the final four candidates, Louis Paradise. Current Interim University President Ralph Faudree was on the list of individuals nominated by others. Nine nominated individuals did not submit a resume.
One of the problems to be addressed at the meeting is that two of the final four candidates, Oliver McGee III, assistant secretary for the transportation technology with the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, and John Derald Morgan, vice president of university advancement for the University of Alabama at Huntsville, were chosen by the firm, yet submitted no application, according to the information supplied by the Tennessee Board of Regents.
Kathy Kolby, senior administrative secretary to the dean of the College of Communications and Fine arts, serves on the advisory committee and is unsure how those two candidates were chosen.
"I do not know the criteria as to why they have selected these particular candidates -- it doesn't seem to agree with the criteria that the committee initially established. There are some concerns that need to be resolved," Kolby said.
Bill Gutzke, president of the Faculty Senate, also serves on the advisory board. He has some idea as to how the other two finalists were chosen.
"They could have come from the head-hunter's office. We have only received the information on the individuals that was sent to us by the Tennessee Board of Regents," he said.
Gutzke is hoping Thursday's meeting will draw a big crowd of individuals who are concerned and want to have a say in the search.
"It is basically to show the rest of the committee and everyone involved that the students, staff and faculty expect to have a voice in the process," Gutzke said. "By showing up, it shows that you are interested and want to be heard."
Since Heidrick and Struggles is a private company, the applicants must agree to have their names published for the committee to see them. If the applicant refuses, no one will ever know they applied.
Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Charles Manning and head-hunter Knapp will be present at the Thursday meeting of the advisory board to hear the concerns of various individuals and groups.
Gutzke wants to be sure everything is cleared up before moving on.
"We are calling for a re-examination of the process that got us here," Gutzke said. "Let's not go to step two until we are satisfied with step one."
All members of the University and the Memphis community are encouraged to attend the meeting at 7 p.m. at Fogelman College of Business and Economics, room 118, to voice any concerns they may have.
