The search for UB's 15th president has officially commenced, and the search committee, made up of several members of the administration and the UB Council, wants to hear what the UB community would like to see in their next president.
On Monday, the committee held the second of three open listening sessions in the Center for the Arts Screening Room. After giving a brief overview of the process and progress so far, the committee opened up the floor to questions and comments from the audience.
"What's certainly important for me is to hear from the community about your aspirations for the campus and university, what you think some of the challenges are on the campus, and what are the traits and qualities that you are seeking in the [president]," said Scott Weber, professor of civil structural and environmental engineering, vice provost for undergraduate education, and a member of the search committee.
As Weber explained, the primary motivation for the listening sessions was to help the committee in forming the position profile for the presidency that details the responsibilities and expectations of the job.
Not surprisingly, a large portion of the audience comments focused on the financial struggles of the university.
"I hope that the new president will have a sincere and strong interest in raising money for this university," said Deborah Mckinzie, associate vice president for constituent development for the College of Arts and Sciences.
According to Mckinzie, the president's support in trying to solicit donations internally and externally is absolutely crucial.
"It makes a world of difference in the kinds of relationships we can develop," Mckinzie said. "We tee it up. It's very hard to close it without good leadership. There are just people who simply will not give unless they are asked by the president."
Cayden Mak, a graduate student in media studies, commented on the importance of preserving the spirit of UB as a public institution, a spirit he felt was being threatened by recent administrative decisions and components of the UB 2020 plan.
"One of the things that concerns us is that the approach to privatize what is essentially a public institution has not been show to be successful," Mak said. "I think that there's been a bit of a failure in this idea that we can create these partnerships with private corporations, and that we can break away from state funding and state oversight that I just think are really irresponsible."
In response to state budget cuts, committee members noted that the university has been forced to look elsewhere for financial support and that the new president will likely continue this effort.
"There is one problem with the concept of state university - how state is a state university when the state keeps cutting its funding to the university?" said Robert G. Hoeing, ?associate professor of linguistics, chair of the Faculty Senate and a member of the search committee. "Sometimes we're forced to look for alternative funding sources."
Laura Mangan, coordinator of civic engagement and public policy in the Office of Strategic Strengths, stressed the importance of having a president who understood and supported the university's commitment to community-based research.
"We are a public research university," Mangan said. "We're looking for someone who understands the value of research that is taken outside of ivory tower."
Throughout the session, committee members made it clear that while they have a few candidates of their own in mind and expect to receive many applications, they are completely open to considering nominations for the position from members of the community.
The third listening session for the committee will be held on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. in 105 Harriman Hall on South Campus.
