Editor,
On July 11, the Albuquerque Tribune ran a story of interest to all members of the UNM community.
Entitled "UNM might not have to look far for provost," the story is based on an interview with UNM President David Schmidly. In this interview, the president tells the reporter that he "is leading a national search for a new provost but says he has a good candidate in his own backyard." He describes Interim Provost Viola Florez as a "viable candidate" who "fits many of his criteria: She has lots of experience in education, she's a woman, a minority and a native New Mexican." Eight paragraphs set forth Florez's qualifications and the president's enthusiasm for her candidacy. After she has served six weeks in office, he declares her to be "a great interim." This interview seriously compromises the possibility of an open national search for a provost later in the year. The president sounds as if he already has decided upon a favored candidate. Why should others apply for the position if the president has already told the press that he has singled out a candidate who satisfies his criteria? The search will be an expensive charade.
Bear in mind that no consultation has taken place with a search committee or with the many constituencies that will be affected by the appointment of a provost. Faculty, staff, students and alumni have had no opportunity to participate in creating a job description and evaluating a diverse field of candidates. President Schmidly's remarks appear to foreclose this dialogue. And what will the Office of Equal Opportunity say about his declared preference for candidates of a specific gender, ethnicity and academic background?
The president's remarks suggest that he does not understand the principles of shared governance and equal-opportunity employment. The replacement of Provost Reed Dasenbrock could hardly be off to a worse start.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Hugh Witemeyer
UNM professor emeritus
