The drop/add period is now over, so students' schedules are locked in for the remainder of the semester. The situation in the UB President's office couldn't be more opposite.
It has been two weeks since current president John B. Simpson announced his impending retirement on the first day of classes. At the announcement, Simpson and UB Council Chairman Jeremy Jacobs also revealed that Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Scott D. Nostaja would serve as his interim successor.
The collective UB faculty, however, has objected to the rapid selection of Nostaja, who has since taken his name out of the running.
What could have been a smooth, easy transition for the UB community is now lost somewhere in the vast bureaucracy of UB and SUNY due to our school's lack of communication and foresight.
By naming Nostaja interim president right away, Jacobs and Simpson failed to follow SUNY policy.
The UB Council can perform a search for the next presidential candidate and make a recommendation to SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and her Board of Trustees, but the final decision lies with the SUNY officials. By rushing to appoint Nostaja, Simpson and Jacobs completely bypassed SUNY, which has broken the rules, alienated the faculty and resulted in Nostaja's backing away.
How does UB look from Albany's point of view?
The UB 2020 plan, before it was crippled by the state legislature's decision not to include a crucial bill in its budget, would have given UB a great deal of autonomy, allowing this university to do many things on its own rather than defer to SUNY.
That bill may not have passed, but it still looks like UB is doing whatever it can to keep SUNY out of its business.
What if the council recommended Nostaja to SUNY like it was supposed to? It's hard to believe that SUNY wouldn't have approved him as the interim president. This way, the university would have avoided the mess that it created.
We also agree with the faculty: they deserve to be included in the process of selecting the next president, whether interim or permanent.
As for Simpson, he seems to be sending mixed signals in the few statements he's given since he announced his retirement.
In a recent interview with The Spectrum, Simpson said the media has "tried to put words in [his] mouth," and indicated that his decision had nothing to do with the state's decision not to pass the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act. However, in his initial announcement, Simpson specifically referenced Albany, saying his decision was made "somewhat easier" by their actions.
From this point forward, the entire process must become completely transparent to avoid alienating the faculty, students and SUNY officials any further. Those in charge at UB must find a president who is truly fit to serve the entire UB community and follow the due process.
