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Editorial: TAMUK’s search for new president continues |
The 14 selected advisory committee members, along with Texas A&M System chancellor Michael D. McKinney, are on the search for the new Texas A&M University- Kingsville President.
TAMUK President Rumaldo Juárez, Ph.D, announced Feb. 13 he would be resigning effective on June 30 after almost six years of outstanding service. He will then begin his new position as Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies here at TAMUK.
The advisory committee was formed to conduct a comprehensive search to identify and attract top candidates for his successor.
So what criteria are they looking for to ensure the next president of TAMUK is the right person? We believe that not enough has been done to get input from the students, faculty, staff and South Texas community TAMUK serves. We feel more than just a few quickly called forums on campus are needed to get true input.
A guide for the TAMUK search has been posted on www.academic-search.com/search.html. It states information about the university, the major challenges and opportunities facing the new president and the specific requirements for the position.
TAMUK is seeking a visionary leader with exceptional communication abilities.
The new president must have demonstrated success as a consensus builder in order to enhance the national impact of the distinctive programs at TAMUK, while making tough decisions regarding resource allocation. He or she must also be someone who can inspire the faculty and staff and articulate the uniqueness of TAMUK to system leaders, the state and the nation. Experience should be possessed in institutional marketing, external fundraising, and enrollment management. Also the president should demonstrate commitment to university research and student services and programs.
This list certainly gives those interested in the process a key as to what the Texas A&M System is looking for as they seek the right person for our university. Each advisory committee member is also supposed to represent different facets of the university. Open forums are also held for the public to attend and be able to add their input on concerns or ask questions. However, people often cannot attend due to classes, or time conflicts with work. Some people have families and cannot find the time to get away for an hour to be able to attend these forums.
A simple way to reach out to all constituents for their thoughts on the presidential search process would be to create a TAMUK Presidential Search Committee website. Rice University has such a website.The website has links about the search process, committee members, past searches and history, what’s new, contact us, and your feedback.
On the website there is also a box titled “Your Input” where interested people can select the link such as students, faculty, staff, alumni, or community, and let the committee know what they think is critical by filling out a questionnaire.
If the TAMUK committee could create such a website it would serve as an interactive medium for everyone’s comments about the search for our university’s new president. Then they can also update the public about the general progress of the search.
Three other universities in the Texas A&M System have been searching for new presidents. All have found what they have been looking for in a president. Adding an interactive website for the TAMUK search will ensure that many who are interested in participating in the process get that opportunity. The TAMUK System should immediately move toward setting up such a site. The more open the process is, the better for all.
An interactive website would, at the very least, give the appearance of transparency and fairness in the search for TAMUK’s next leader..