Five finalists remain in the search for UNM’s next president.
The Board of Regents will conduct in-person interviews with each finalist and review feedback from students and staff before officially selecting the University’s next president in early January. The search committee conducted interviews all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday to narrow the list down to five names, Board of Regents President Jack Fortner said.
Forums will be held during finals week, when staff and students can meet the finalists and ask them questions.
Fortner said the committee chose the finalists from a pool of 45 applicants.
“(These five were selected) for a combination of their experience, whether as a past president, provost, interim provost, their leadership ability, and the idea that they can step in as our president and continue to move us forward,” he said.
Fortner said candidates were evaluated based on their understanding of issues unique to UNM.
“The candidates had to have an understanding of a research university like ours, understand that we have a lot of first-generation college attendees and have familiarity with the health sciences center, just to name a few,” he said.
ASUNM president Jaymie Roybal, who served on the search committee, said one of the committee’s main goals was to find candidates who would support UNM’s diversity.
“We recruited people who had experience with diversity because we are one of the most diverse schools in the nation,” she said.
UNM President David Schmidly’s contract expires in June 2012.
Schmidly was treated for pancreatic cancer in 2010, but he told the Daily Lobo earlier this year that health was not a factor in his decision not to renew his contract.
“My health is much better, and it’s really heading in the right direction,” he said. “For 40 years all I have done is higher education work. Now I’ve got more books to write, more papers to write, and I like teaching. I always said I would not finish my career as a college president.”
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Roybal said she is pleased that the Board of Regents is reaching out for student input, but that the decision to schedule student forums during finals week may hinder students’ ability to attend the forums.
“I’m disappointed with the timing, because students are trying to finish up finals and pass classes and it will be hard for the candidates to meet students, but I hope a lot of students do come.”
Jane Slaughter, vice-chair of the search committee, said students who miss the forums can watch them videos of them on the Presidential Search site. Videos will be posted after the last forum on Dec. 14.
Stick with the Daily Lobo for continuing coverage on the search for UNM’s next president.
Meet presidential finalists Dec. 8, 9, 12, 13 and 14 in the SUB Ballrooms.
Staff forums
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Student forums
11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
