Twenty-five faculty, students and business professionals are searching for a new University president to replace Dave Frohnmayer, but it’s possible that the public won’t know anything about the candidates – including their identities – until after the group makes its selection this spring.
But this search method, known as a “closed” search, is drawing the critical eye of some faculty and community members because it prevents the public from vetting the search committee’s work. Oregon University System officials say the closed search makes high-caliber candidates feel more comfortable tossing their name in the hat.

“(Sitting presidents) are fearful of putting their current position in jeopardy,” OUS Chancellor George Pernsteiner said. “They have to decide to take the risk of not getting the job in Oregon, or lose their current job; it can be the determinant for those folks.”
Not everyone agrees.
“Show me the proof that presidential searches that are open yield less qualified candidates than searches that are closed – I reject that notion in its face,” said Steven A. Smith, University of Oregon alumnus and former editor in chief of The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Wash. “(Closed searches) are becoming more common because it’s easier. Democracy is a difficulty thing.”
Smith said that by holding a closed search, the OUS is losing a key factor in making a final selection: input from the faculty, students and staff.
Several faculty members mirrored Smith’s sentiments at last week’s University Senate meeting. They asked for proof that conducting a closed search will yield a greater quality pool of applicants than holding a traditional open search.
“This (search style) seems really appropriate if this University wants to join the rush to corporate models,” professor emeritus Frank Stahl said.
Susan Weeks, OUS vice chancellor for Strategic Programs and Planning, told the Emerald that she knows of no statistics or records to prove that closed searches have a positive effect on the pool of applicants, but she did say that 35 percent of all sitting presidents of public institutions in the Association of American Universities were presidents of other colleges before their current role. The University of Oregon is the only institution in the state with AAU membership; there are 62 member schools nationwide.
Pernsteiner, who will ultimately be responsible for hiring the University’s next president, said his reason for choosing a closed search comes mostly from anecdotal evidence.
“It also comes from search firms and other people who do these kind of jobs around the country,” he said. ” I recognize that you do have a preference for open searches in this state.”
Pernsteiner said that all of the final candidates may be announced and brought to campus before the finalist is selected by the search committee, but only if they all agree to having their names released.
“We want to make sure we know as much as we can about the final finalists we can,” Weeks said. “Before the offer is made, the final candidate will be brought to campus.”
OUS has held and continues to hold public forums at the University’s two campuses in Eugene and Portland for the University community members to express what qualities they feel the next president should possess. Additionally, anyone may e-mail his or her thoughts to be considered by Pernsteiner and the presidential search committee to [email protected].
“If you don’t know the pool of candidates, you can’t be sure the criteria is being applied,” Smith said. “The public doesn’t know the vetting process.”
With 25 members on the search committee, including alumni and members of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, Pernsteiner said this is the largest search committee he has ever formed to find a new university president. This is partly because he wants to have as many different perspectives and groups represented in making the final selection as possible.
ASUO President and search committee member Sam Dotters-Katz said he will be hosting a student forum on Oct. 16 in the Ben Linder Room from 4 to 6 p.m. to address the qualities students feel would be valuable to see in a new president.
Dotters-Katz could not comment on his thoughts on the closed search because he is a member of the committee.
Pernsteiner will host another open forum to gather public input Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Many Nations Longhouse.
The search process is on schedule to make a hire by spring 2009. The new president will officially take over for Frohnmayer, who announced his retirement last spring, at the start of the 2009-10 academic year.
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