The University of Arkansas chancellor search committee will meet today with seven candidates in Texas, according to documents the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette obtained through the state's Freedom of Information Act.
Officials at the University of Arkansas System and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville have been mum on who the selected seven are. They have said there is no schedule or agenda for the Friday "conversations." Emails show calendar references for other events, such as the search committee's Aug. 21 meeting or a scheduled phone call.
"We know the people we will be speaking with because we discussed them verbally," search committee chairman Laura Jacobs said Thursday. "But we don't know who we will visit with at what time yet. Please know, we are still in recruitment phase and hoping to attract applicants for our position."
The search process has drawn some "chatter" on the Fayetteville campus that the committee isn't relaying information frequently enough to the faculty and staff on the progress of the search, an email from Jacobs to UA System President Donald Bobbitt said.
"Granted, there's not much we can say, but I do think we can probably have at least some form of update weekly," said Jacobs, who is also the university's associate vice chancellor of university relations.
Former UA faculty senate chairman John Rupe said Thursday that he hadn't heard any faculty members talk about information on the search. Rupe, a professor in the department of plant pathology, said there could be some talk in other colleges at the university.
During the last search, former UA System President B. Alan Sugg forwent a national search and chose G. David Gearhart. Gearhart, 63, stepped down from his $339,010 post at the end of July after serving at the helm of the state's largest university since 2008.
Rupe said he thought Bobbitt was having a "more open" search process than previous ones.
"They have a very good committee, and you try very hard to make it as representative as possible," Rupe said. "There are other constituencies that need to be included in the process."
The current faculty senate chairman, Neil Allison, did not return a message or an email late Thursday. Staff senate chairman Trish Watkins also did not return a message Thursday.
Jacobs and Bobbitt have reiterated in emails and interviews the "need for confidentiality" so as not to "compromise the process." Candidates for presidential and chancellor searches have grown increasingly concerned about confidentiality for fear of retribution or appearances, search firms have said.
Some states have allowed a university to name only the winning candidate. Last year, Ohio State University named its first black president, Michael Drake, but did not disclose any of the other approximately 300 candidates, according to media reports.
Other states, including Iowa, have allowed universities to name the finalists. And yet others -- such as Florida and Arkansas -- make all applicants' names publicly available.
So far, UA's search has drawn 15 applicants, ranging from several university provosts to a surgeon. No one else has officially applied, and none of the 15 has withdrawn, said Nate Hinkel, the UA System's interim director of communications. He added that none of the candidates has been ruled out.
The search committee is tasked with giving feedback to Bobbitt on applicants and others, Jacobs said. Bobbitt has said he is looking for candidates who have "moved the needle" for their own institutions in carrying out efforts to become a top 50 public research university.
The UA campus has set a goal to be among the top 50 public research universities in the country by 2021. The status is a ranking by the U.S. News & World Report magazine, which looks at graduation and retention rates, alumni giving, faculty resources and other measures. In the latest edition, the magazine ranked UA-Fayetteville 62nd in a five-way tie.
Most of the 17 committee members were expected to arrive in the Dallas-Fort Worth area Thursday.
Last week, some committee members posed questions about their ability to review resumes before the conversations, poring over headlines for potential "red flags" and a verbal list of who would be attending the meetings, documents show.
Records indicate the concerns were alleviated after a phone call with Jacobs, Bobbitt and hired search firm Greenwood/Asher & Associates. The Miramar Beach, Fla.-based firm is being paid up to $155,000 to conduct the search.
The committee is expected to put in a 12-hour day Friday, beginning with an "orientation into the day's work and a review of the tools available" to help the members, emails show.
Jacobs had a list of drafted questions for the conversations with the candidates.
"There is some thought that we should keep the conversations very high level and focus on that opening statement, thus allowing the person to showcase what they know about the U of A and their vision for advancing the institution toward top 50 status," Jacobs wrote."This could allow us to use the on-campus visits as a time to drill down on operational questions."
Of the full committee, at least two could not attend the out-of-state meeting, which is set to take place the day before UA-Fayetteville plays Texas A&M University in Arlington.
Howard Brill -- the former search committee chairman who was appointed earlier this month to be chief justice of the state Supreme Court -- couldn't make the meetings because of a scheduling conflict. New lawyers will be sworn in during a state Supreme Court ceremony the same day.
"It is possible I could take a flight at 1:50 and arrive at DFW at 3:10," Brill wrote in an Aug. 31 email. "I wonder whether it is worth the money for me to fly in at the last minute for perhaps 2 interviews."
A day later, after Brill was sworn in as chief justice, he wrote back: "After one day at the court, I have concluded that it seems a bit unlikely that I can come and contribute in any meaningful way."
Bobbitt has estimated each committee member will spend about $500 in travel, lodging and other expenses. The committee members are paying for the costs upfront but will be reimbursed by the university, Hinkel said.
The seven candidates are also will be reimbursed for expenses, he said. He was not sure which entity would reimburse the seven.
The application period for the chancellor position is still open. Officials anticipate campus visits to run through mid- to late October into November.
In the meantime, Dan Ferritor, who has served as the university's chancellor before, has been tapped as interim.
"Honest i know nothing about the search and that is just how i like it," he wrote in an email to Jacobs, congratulating her on her appointment to chairman of the search committee. "Just get it done and set me free."
Metro on 09/25/2015