by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
David Schmidly, UNM's next president, said he plans to begin working at the University by June 1.
Before that, he will make several visits to campus to talk with faculty, staff and students.
Beginning next week, he will host webcasts where University members can ask him questions and tell him what he should do.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"The first thing you always have to do is listen," Schmidly said. "I have to get people to open up with me."
Schmidly, the president of the Oklahoma State University System, will start a blog to write about his goals, he said. Students, staff and faculty will be able to reply with their opinions.
Nine students attended the Feb. 13 meeting with Schmidly.
"I had a great dialogue with the ones who were there, but I would like to open up a way to hear from more students," he said. "The University needs to be student-centered."
Schmidly said he will form a committee to make the transition to a new president smooth.
"I want to get it set up so that when I arrive, I can really hit the ground running," he said. "The first 100 days have to be good. Those are crucial days for setting the tone."
The Board of Regents selected Schmidly on Saturday, against the recommendation of about 70 faculty members who endorsed Meredith Hay and Robert McGrath.
Schmidly said he is not worried about the faculty's vote. It takes 130 faculty members to establish a quorum.
Seventy-one percent of the faculty members who attended the Feb. 13 meeting with Schmidly said he would make a good president. Seventy-one percent was the average faculty approval rate for each of the five candidates.
Schmidly said he is not concerned that the faculty endorsed two other candidates.
"You're never going to be received well by 100 percent of them," he said. "I feel like I'm going in with a position of strength. As people get to know me, they will see that I'm really a good guy."
Lawrence Straus, a professor of anthropology, said he was disappointed the regents did not pick McGrath or Hay.
"I think this will be the last time I participate in any of these kinds of forums," he said. "I think it's clear that the faculty have no particular role in this process. The faculty is generally demoralized."
Former President Louis Caldera resigned in January 2006.
Schmidly will replace David Harris, who is serving as acting president.
Straus said the faculty will not try to make Schmidly's job difficult.
"People know they've got to work for the boss," he said. "I don't think it's like people are going to have a revolt."
Gail Houston, director of Women's Studies, said the regents should not have chosen Schmidly.
"It seems like the old boys' network rides again," she said. "I would like to see fresher ways of viewing possibilities. It would have been really exciting to see a person that we didn't expect to be picked and see what they could do if they were given the chance."
Houston said UNM should give Schmidly a chance, though.
"There were a lot of faculty who were very impressed with him," she said. "I feel like it's a done deal, and we have to move on."
Graduate student Christopher Ram°rez said he was impressed with Schmidly at the Feb. 13 meeting.
"I think he answered students' questions very well," he said. "He was direct and had good ideas."
Andrew Mathiasen, a student at Oklahoma State, said UNM should be glad to have Schmidly.
"He did a lot when he was at Texas Tech, and I know he's done a lot here," he said. "You guys are lucky to have him."
