UNCG Leadership Search: Funk and Scandal

President Tom Ross spoke to the faculty senate and attendees regarding the upcoming search to replace UNCG’s disgraced chancellor. He stated that he was hoping for someone with integrity, courage, charisma, and vision. I think that’s a good start – it would certainly be a change. Unfortunately, he, and most members of the Board of Trustees believe the best way to get that is by conducting a search where the candidates don’t have to reveal who they are. That is exactly how we received Linda Brady, despite her history of scandal at NCSU (in fact, faculty from NCSU actually contacted faculty at UNCG to warn them of what they were going to be getting) and at Oregon State.

Add to this the fact that the search committee hired to perform this ‘service’ has its own history of scandal. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill “I used a work laptop for personal business after hours with permission of my supervisors” type of scandal. During his time as headhunter for the Florida State University presidential search R. William Funk ignored faculty input and the public advice of the university’s presidential search committee or made backroom deals that left John Thrasher, chairman of Florida Governor Rick Scott’s reelection campaign, as the only candidate.

And so, Funk received a vote of no confidence by the Florida State University’s faculty senate.

Maybe it’s time we stop taking Florida State University’s rejects. They let go Kim Record and we snatched her up…are we planning on learning from our mistakes?

However, instead of seeing the ‘egregious’ nature of this history as a hindrance, the UNCG website reads:

“During the past two decades, no higher education search firm has had a greater impact on college and university leadership nationally than RWFA and its consultants.”

I would also suggest that it would be nice to know if that impact had been positive – its simply quantity is less than reassuring as Hurricane Katrina could also be said to have had an enormous ‘impact.’

Funk was also responsible for the 2007 West Virginia University search that led to the hiring of Michael Garrison former governor’s lobbyist who, up until the announcement of the presidential candidate finalists was the chairman of the Higher Education Policy Commission – the body responsible for final say on who becomes the president of WVU. Garrison went on to ‘an early retirement’ in disgrace after less than a year because of a degree he was involved in awarding to a non-graduate who was…the then-governor’s daughter. Faculty had given a vote of no confidence in the search that netted Garrison. Do you see a pattern here?

I couldn’t make this stuff up. Well, I could, but the people would be smarter about it.

And yet, our administration, the Board of Trustees, Board of Governors, and Tom Ross seem to think that the greatest conflict of interest to have ever occurred is the occasional freelance work done by Lyda Carpen on behalf of two of her colleagues. I think we have an issue of proportion to address here.

While we’re talking about West Virginia University, another similarity existed in the rumors that ex-President Garrison would step into a teaching position after his resignation. There are similar rumors pertaining to Linda Brady who has been inquiring into the possibilities for teaching a course in the Education department. Let’s hope that we can follow WVU by rejecting such a horrifying prospect. In fact, here’s something else we might take to heart from WVU in this report from Inside Higher Ed:

Boyd Edwards, who headed a group called Mountaineers for Integrity and Responsibility, which pressured Garrison to resign, said he’s concerned the university’s recent history will deter strong candidates. That said, Edwards said he thinks members of the Board of Governors may have been sufficiently shamed into providing a fair process that will garner faculty support.

“If I were applying at West Virginia University, I would need assurances of some kind that the search would be open and transparent, but I believe that there is hope even in that,” he said. “I think the Board of Governors has learned some lessons, and I trust them not to try any tricks on this next presidential search.”

The board has an opportunity to send a message, starting with the selection of an interim president that could have a calming affect on campus, according to James Ferrare, president of Academic Search, a firm that specializes in hiring university presidents. Governing boards also have to take steps to assure candidates that the process will be fair.  He added.

“Let’s face it, everyone has their chin on the ground right now there,” he said. “And I think the faculty, and staff and students are looking for someone to carry the flag and say ‘hey, let’s show everyone who we really are.’“

Since the UNC system and the Board of Trustees seems to believe that the firing and arrest of Carpen was justified based on even the worst case scenario of what she has been absolved of committing, then if I were R. William Funk, I’d think several times before I’d set foot in the state of North Carolina.