Lone UW president finalist withdraws from consideration

[Ellipsis]

https://www.channel3000.com/lone-uw-president-finalist-withdraws-from-consideration/

[dhill926]

1. wonder what the hell is going on there....

[Ellipsis]

2. Can't say for sure. but I guess he's known to be a head chopper...

program elimination etc.

There was push back from existing campus profs across the 17 campus system especially since he was the only candidate chosen.

[dhill926]

3. ah ok...makes sense...

thx for the update.

[quaint]

4. Bit more

Earlier this month the search committee announced Johnsen had emerged as the only finalist. The other would-be finalists all withdrew from the running out of concern about being publicly named as a finalist during the coronavirus pandemic.

That announcement drew immediate criticism from faculty, staff and students who complained that they had no representatives on the search committee. They also pointed out Johnsen had received two no-confidence votes from Alaska faculty in 2017 and 2019 over proposals to consolidate programs and combine the three-university Alaska system into a single accredited institution to absorb budget cuts.

Hundreds of UW alumni, students, faculty and staff signed a petition demanding regents resume the search. Associated Students of Madison, the student governance group at UW-Madison, the system’s flagship school, said in a statement that it doesn’t support Johnsen.

But Regent Michael Grebe, chairman of the search committee, said a re-start could cost UW six months and Johnsen was the committee’s top pick anyway. The committee had been set to meet Friday afternoon to make a recommendation to regents to hire him.

UW Board of Regents President Andrew Petersen, who served on the search committee, noted Johnsen was the panel’s unanimous choice as the best candidate. He called Johnsen’s decision “disappointing, a dark day for the UW System.”

story

[ewagner]

5. Hearing from Staff....

first...cheers that this particular candidate withdrew...

and

some hope that the search committee will be expanded to include staff and some student representation.

[ladym55]

6. This is a pattern across the country

Top secret searches using private search firms to select university presidents. The search committees do not include faculty, students, or other important stakeholders. I live in NE Ohio, and recent searches for local state universities have been cloaked in secrecy and have often chosen less than stellar leaders.

I hope UW does a better job with its next search. The main stakeholders need a voice.