5 firms vie to lead UA-chief search

University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt's special committee will choose from among five executive search firms that will help find the Fayetteville campus' next chancellor.

The proposals, which were due Tuesday, were released to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette last week. They are R. William Funk & Associates in Dallas; Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc. in Miramar Beach, Fla.; Wheless Partners in Birmingham, Ala.; Academic Search, Inc. in Washington, D.C.; and Witt/Kieffer in Oak Brook, Ill.

Bobbitt hasn't named those who will serve on that committee, but he said he had a Fayetteville faculty member in mind along with some of his staff. Looking ahead, he said Friday that he was "pretty sure" he would have to name an interim chancellor.

The interim chancellor -- who has not been named -- would be a placeholder once G. David Gearhart, 62, steps down from the position July 31. He will retain his $339,010 salary during a year-long sabbatical before returning to teach.

Steven Murray, chancel of Phillips Community College, plans to retire June 30, while UA-Monticello's former Chancellor Jack Lassiter retired in January.

The vacancies mean the system is looking for leaders for three of its 11 colleges and universities. Phillips will not use a search firm to fill the leadership role.

The system is already contracted with Witt/Kieffer for $110,000 to find the UA-Monticello leader. The search was extended, and Jay Jones is acting as an interim leader.

The requests for proposals include a "piggyback" clause, which allows other state agencies or higher education institutions to use the same contract "if it is acceptable to the supplier and in the best interest of the institution and the taxpayers of the state of Arkansas."

System officials wanted to run the Fayetteville search separately because it is an entirely different entity, said Nate Hinkel, interim director of communications for the system.

"There are more complex operations in Fayetteville," Bobbitt said, pointing to the size of the institution and the breadth of the programs. "Those are not present in some of the smaller schools."

For fall 2014, 26,237 students enrolled at the Fayetteville campus while just 3,854 enrolled at the Monticello campus, according to the state Department of Higher Education. Different types of students enter the universities, too: The Monticello campus typically has more students entering college who need remedial classes. The classes are required for first-time students who score below a 19 in math, English or reading on the ACT college-admissions exam.

The Witt/Kieffer team understood the mission of the Monticello campus, Bobbitt said.

"This firm should understand the mission of the flagship and its role in the state and in the nation," he added.

Of the five firms, most say they can complete the search for one-third of the campus's 2014-15 state appropriation for the chancellor's position, which would be about $94,320. Academic Search says it can do the job for $90,000. The costs do not include fees for advertising, background checks and travel.

In Witt/Kieffer's proposal, Lucy Leske, a managing partner, said the firm would commit to taking on no other Research I university president and chancellor searches if selected. Pitching a 20-week-long process, the firm is also offering "a discounted professional fee of 31 percent."

The firm has conducted 70 presidential or chancellor searches in the past five years, according to its proposal. Recent searches include those at the University of Tennessee System and Temple University. The firm says its presidential and chancellor placements stay for eight years on average.

R. William Funk & Associates was the firm that drew Bobbitt -- and his predecessor B. Alan Sugg -- to Little Rock.

In its proposal, the firm boasted its recruitment numbers, saying that it has found presidents for more than two-thirds of all public Association of American Universities institutions and more than half of all association universities. In the past five years, the firm had made placements for leaders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Louisiana State University.

"This Chancellor position at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville will be very attractive to many outstanding individuals," the company's proposal states. "The best candidates will not want to feel that they are in competition, will be very sensitive to public disclosure of their candidacies, and will require constant 'hand holding' throughout the process."

Bobbitt had yet to see the bids when interviewed Friday because he was out of town, but he said confidentiality clauses are not uncommon.

"More and more, it's becoming difficult to put their names in the ring because some institutions look upon the fact that someone is applying to another institution as not good for [the first institution]," Bobbitt said.

Wheless plans a 15-week process, which would include summaries of the candidates' families.

"Wheless delivers greater access to rare, high-caliber leaders, in contrast to other firms who are likely hands-off to these top-of-the-bell-curve executives that they have already placed within a client organization and therefore cannot touch," its proposal states. "We intentionally choose to represent no more than 3% of institutions in higher education; conversely, we are then able to provide our select clients in higher education 97% access to the best candidates."

The firm has recently placed Adm. William McRaven as the chancellor of the University of Texas System. It has also found a president for the University of Alabama and a chancellor for the Texas Tech University System.

The Greenwood firm lauded its ability to find leadership from minority groups, including placing Karen Holbrook as the president of Ohio State University and Paula Voyles as an administrator at Baylor University. It also conducted a chancellor search at UAPB. In its proposal, the firm said it has a repeat client rate of 97 percent and planned a three-month search process.

A fifth firm, Academic Search, said 87 percent of all of its presidential placements have stayed on for at least five years. The firm has conducted more than 730 presidential searches, including recently placing Robin Bowen at Arkansas Tech University. That firm has proposed a longer search with finalist interviews in November and a selection the next month.

Bobbitt said the search-firm committee will review each company's placements -- the candidates it drew and the schools they went to -- and each track record. Legislators would need to approve the selected firm.

John Rupe, the chairman of the Fayetteville campus's faculty senate, has offered to be on the committee. Rupe began looking at search firms to find a vice chancellor for finance and administration, but that was put on hold until a university leader was hired, he said.

"We need to have firms that will be able to make contacts that will be able to track candidates good for this condition," he said. "One of the things that Dr. Bobbitt discussed with us was that he expects each campus to set aspiration goals. We've talked about getting into top 50 research universities. When we get a new chancellor, it's going to be very important for that person to work with the faculty in setting these goals."

The new chancellor would have to bring the faculty together and set them on the right path to attain those goals, he said. The chancellor would also come as the campus is growing more cramped from the student influx, Rupe added.

"There are a lot of challenges," he said. "But I think we're going to be looking for somebody who can take what we've got and make us better."

Metro on 03/02/2015

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