Although the decision isn't entirely in his hands, UNM President Bill Gordon is still wrestling with either staying in a place he loves or accepting a high-profile job closer to home.
Gordon is one of three finalists for the University System of Georgia chancellor's position being vacated by Stephen R. Portch, who announced in May that he would step down as soon as his successor was found.
"I found out I was going to be asked to be a finalist Tuesday night following the regents meeting," Gordon said. "I got a call, and they asked whether I was willing to pursue it and have it publicly released. At this point, all we are talking about is agreeing to be considered as a finalist. There's a big difference between being willing to be considered for a job and actually getting an offer."
The Georgia University system cannot make a job offer to any of the finalists until Oct. 24.
Gordon said that he has never seriously considered leaving UNM, but the possibility of being offered the Georgia position was special and out of the ordinary.
If he was offered and accepted the new position, Gordon would be working with a prestigious governing body that supervises 34 colleges and universities in Georgia. Portch also makes $265,000 a year, with an additional $65,000 in general expenses, compared to Gordon's current salary of $198,500 annually.
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"For most people in higher education, when they look across the country at what different states are doing, Georgia is always a topic of conversation because the system there has really been extremely successful, particularly in recent years," he said. "It's a large comprehensive system with research universities, regional universities, state colleges and two-year institutions. It's got a pretty clear agenda for higher education."
The move also would send Gordon a mere 70 miles from where he grew up and closer to his parents, two sisters and brother.
While he is seriously considering the position, Gordon was quick to emphasize that the lure of the new job has more to do with personal connections and job opportunities than with UNM. When asked how he would feel about leaving after having served a relatively short term as University president, Gordon said he felt he already has contributed a fair amount.
"People tend to forget that I was interim president and really have been here for four years and that is plenty of time," he said. "I am happy with what I have accomplished, and there certainly are a lot more things I would like to get done. I fully intended to serve out my term and may still do that, but this opportunity does involve some extenuating circumstances."
Gordon took over as interim president in 1998 for Richard Peck and held that title for a year after a botched presidential search was scrapped and a second one that resulted in his selection was completed. His appointment was questioned by two UNM Hispanic groups who backed a native New Mexican and Hispanic candidate for the position.
During his term, Gordon has sought salary compensation for faculty and staff comparable with peer institutions, and last year the University netted an unprecedented 7 percent increase for faculty and 6.5 percent increase for staff. Gordon also has helped oversee dramatic gains in research grants and donations to the University. He has been responsible for filling numerous upper-level management vacancies, including the provost and vice presidents for Business and Finance and Institutional Advancement.
While he has supported reforms aimed at improving retention rates and establishing a strategic plan for the University that were largely seen as positive steps, he has not been immune to controversy.
Gordon's term got off to a rocky start when he was painted as the regents' top choice before a national presidential search began. Since then, he has dealt with students upset over dramatic tuition increases, protests about the lack of diversity in upper-level University positions and, more recently, Professor Richard Berthold's controversial comments following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Despite the bumpier moments, Gordon said he expected to retire from UNM and hadn't given leaving a second thought until the Georgia opportunity presented itself. He said he was notified by the system during the summer that he had been nominated for the job.
"I don't know who put my name in, but I just answered a search team's questions and sort of filed it away and didn't really consider it again," he said.
Gordon said that he knew relatively little about the next steps in the search process. The other finalists are Richard S. Jarvis, chancellor of the United States Open University based in Aurora, Colo., and Thomas C. Meredith, chancellor of the University of Alabama System in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
UNM Board of Regents President Larry Willard said in a UNM statement that he had discussed the opportunity with Gordon and urged people to keep in mind that while being considered as a finalist is very serious, a final decision has not been made.
"We will await completion of the process and then determine what course of action, if any, we need to take," he said. "In the meantime, we should take pride in the fact that our president is being recruited by such an outstanding higher education system. This not only speaks highly of President Gordon, but also of the quality of our institution."
Gordon began his 24-year career at UNM as a professor in the Psychology Department and worked his way up through the University ranks. He said he has always loved the city, state and University.
"I think from the time I stepped off the plane from the airport for my first interview here, I knew it was the most interesting place and had the most interesting people I had ever met," he said. "How can you talk about staying in one place for 24 years without saying what a positive experience it's been? It's been my professional life, and again, this is not about being dissatisfied with where I'm at, but a special opportunity with special considerations coming about."
