I see a call for the new president to be a good politician and an entrepreneur, but not a word about scholarship. How important is it that the new president be an active scholar? Also, someone needs to remind the HA that the new president will be named by April 1, not take office on that date.

LeftASAP wrote:

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LVN wrote:

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I see a call for the new president to be a good politician and an entrepreneur, but not a word about scholarship. How important is it that the new president be an active scholar? ...

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I agree with you, LVN. I would like to see a scholar with good political and entrepreneurial skills. However, I fear we may get a corporate CEO, retired general or, heaven forbid, a retired politician.

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Given the way Presidents are functioning these days, I'd be happy to settle for someone who has a track record that shows that he/she understands the academic community and higher education; has some experience in it; has a vision for higher education compatable with the mission of our university and the personal resources in terms of energy and visibility to raise money and convince the public to support higher education in Mississippi. He/she needs to be able to appoint a really good provost and have the wisdom to be able to let the Provost do the job of administering the academic side of the university.

I'd love to have a scholar -- but increasingly those folks who can do all of this and have first rate scholarly careers just aren't out there . . . .

Personally, I am feeling pretty good abut this search -- I can feel the energy lifting all over the campus right now as we get underway.

 

 

 

-- Edited by stephen judd at 12:30, 2006-10-31