3 chancellor hopefuls likely to visit UA

System’s chief lays out plan to find new leader as Gearhart makes exit

FAYETTEVILLE -- At least three candidates for chancellor of the University of Arkansas will visit the campus as soon as May but more likely in the fall, a faculty leader said Wednesday.

UA Faculty Senate Chairman John Rupe made the comments at a Faculty Senate meeting, relaying information he said he got from University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt.

He said that Bobbitt wants to avoid summer visits to ensure a full campus is present for the candidates.

Bobbitt has met with faculty and staff senates "as well as a number of individuals that asked for private meetings," according to a text message forwarded to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette by Nate Hinkel, interim director of communications for the UA System.

Recruiting firms have until Feb. 24 to submit their proposals, according to a request for proposal issued by the UA System. The request for proposal states that a contract with a recruiting firm would run until the UA chancellor's position is filled or as late as Dec. 31. Hinkel said last week that that time frame was not an indication that the search would last until the end of the fall semester.

Bobbitt met in Fayetteville with the Faculty Senate's executive committee on Feb. 4 to provide details on efforts to replace outgoing Chancellor G. David Gearhart, who announced in January plans to retire effective July 31.

"Dr. Bobbitt came to us to discuss this, and he outlined how he's going to approach this," Rupe said.

A search committee of about 15 people will be selected, with "at least three or so" to be in place by the end of February to help select a search firm, Rupe said. Three faculty members, a dean and a UA System trustee will be among those on the committee, Rupe said.

The search firm will provide a pool of candidates to the committee, "both candidates they have solicited and those that have applied unsolicited," Rupe said.

"The search committee will see all applicants. From that pool of applicants, the committee will select nine to 12 unrated candidates that would be acceptable," Rupe said. "Then those candidates would be interviewed in 'airport interviews' and from that, then at least three candidates will come to campus, is the idea."

Airport interviews refer to preliminary, off-campus interviews.

The on-campus visits will likely be for "two very intense days," with candidates meeting with various groups, Rupe said, adding that he presumed that the candidates will be asked to make some sort of presentation.

"Campus feedback is very important," Rupe said.

Then, "the search committee will be asked whether the candidates are acceptable or unacceptable," Rupe said, with the final decision to be made by Bobbitt and the UA System board of trustees.

Rupe said Bobbitt was not ready to name an interim chancellor to follow Gearhart.

As for selecting an interim chancellor, "his preference is for an internal candidate, but he did point out that there could be a possibility for an external candidate if choosing somebody internally would be too disruptive," Rupe said.

Another member of the Faculty Senate's executive committee, Norm Dennis , also described meeting with Bobbitt during a round of questions after Rupe's remarks. This led Rupe to say of Bobbitt's remarks that "overall, he is very pleased with the campus."

In an interview, Rupe said the committee had no discussion with Bobbitt about whether an inside or outside candidate was preferred to be UA's next chancellor.

Information for this article was contributed by Aziza Musa of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Metro on 02/12/2015

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