In the last month, Binghamton University’s second search process for a new University president hasn’t taken shape, and if anything, the picture has only become murkier.
Remember, in March, after a nearly year-long initial search, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher rejected Binghamton’s two finalists for the position, who were at the doorstep to the Couper Administration Building’s throne. At that point, we didn’t even know who would be in charge next fall.
Now, at least, it appears that Interim President C. Peter Magrath will continue to serve — but only for the remainder of the calendar year. At 77 and after a storied career in academia, he has no interest in staying on past fall 2011. This will leave BU with yet another interim president who, due to the timing of the appointment, will not even be able to work full time during the spring 2012 semester, according to a report in the Press & Sun-Bulletin quoting Magrath.
But setting aside the fact that BU will almost certainly need another chief with an expiration date, and keeping in mind the fact that we were extremely, extremely lucky even to snag Magrath — who served as BU’s president decades ago and has accomplished much since — we have to ask: Who will be this University’s next full president? And how will he or she be chosen?
These questions bring us back to Chancellor Zimpher. When she turned down the BU Council’s final picks for president, her decision was not just a comment on the individual candidates; it was a rejection of the very process by which they were selected.
The aforementioned BU Presidential Search 1.0 was remarkable for its openness. From a pool of hundreds, five finalists were chosen and were presented to the University community publicly. This was a highly unusual choice for academic appointment. We know that some highly qualified candidates would not participate, because of the obvious career-level risks involved.
Still though, the democratic process yielded candidates that BU was excited about. Not so much for Zimpher. It will not be repeated, and we are left only to parse the Chancellor’s few hints to the media to decipher just how far down the transparency-spectrum BU will need to slide to make Zimpher happy.
It’s clear that Zimpher and the democratic process don’t mesh well. And it’s made us look bad.
The University has lost credibility in any recruitment process moving forward. Zimpher’s decision delegitimizes the work of the BU Presidential Search Committee, the BU Council and BU’s administration writ large — any work moving forward will be covered in the shadow of past failure. The Search Committee picked its finalists based on guidelines it created in partnership with Zimpher. The idea was to know what Zimpher wanted out of a candidate, not that it mattered in the end.
Our candidates put their necks on the line for the privilege of being considered. These candidates had jobs at other schools. Imagine the water cooler conversation there now. And if they ever want to apply for another job again, they’ll have it on their records that they apparently weren’t good enough for BU. They have Zimpher to thank for that.
She told the Press & Sun-Bulletin last month that she wants to take a different approach to the process so she can pick the perfect person.
“I know a lot of people,” she said. “I believe it is my role to help recruit and to talk to people. And as I am familiar with people who might be interested, I reach out.”
She’s making that seem like the reason they’re doing this over, but really that’s the only option she has left. After all the blunders we’ve seen at Zimpher’s hands, nobody but a close friend of the Chancellor would even consider the job, which is why she’s going to have to hand-pick someone anyway.
Nice job.