By Jody Record, Media Relations
The most difficult question facing the Presidential Search Committee is how to find a candidate who, whether at the beginning of his or her career or at the end, will view UNH as a place that would challenge them for many years to come.
That was one of the concerns expressed at a recent public forum aimed at learning what faculty members and staff want from a new president.
“Next to the financial challenge is finding someone who will stay more than three years, four years,” said Ed Dupont, chairman of the search committee. “That’s been the history. How long can we keep someone’s attention? I think that’s the toughest question we have in front of us.”
Tough but not singular: others spoke of wanting the next president to have a record of promoting diversity, fundraising abilities, a priority to recruit low-income and first- generation students, an appreciation for graduate students, and experience in public relations while maintaining an academic vision.
“The role switches every time we talk to someone. The role has changed dramatically,” Dupont said. “It’s an impossible job for someone if you put all the qualifications on paper.”
Gregg Sanborn, executive director of Alumni Affairs, said he would like to see a new president have a commitment to building upon the accomplishments of the last decade rather than pushing for other initiatives as a way to “make their mark.”
“There has to be a balance between the internal and the external,” Sanborn said. “Both are extremely important to have the university be a presence in this state, nationally and even internationally.”
Said Mimi Becker, associate professor of natural resources, “No president can accomplish their goals by themselves. It has to be someone who can engage people and bring them enthusiastically along.”
USNH Trustee Peter Lamb agreed, saying the committee needed to find a leader who can “bring out the best attributes in the people they work with.”
Search committee member Katie Paine spoke of the certainty that, because of the university’s size, the chosen candidate will have to be a public figure. She also noted the individual would be “in the forced position of being a good internal communicator as well as a good external communicator.”
And several people talked about the private dollars that come into the university and stressed the importance of public-private partnerships.
“The next president needs to be very aware of the competitive environment. Everybody is competing for public-private partnerships,” Paine said. “This is not an ivory tower. UNH is competing for its share of the wallet.”
Sarah Potter summed up her idea of what the new president should possess with two words: capacity and affinity. The associate executive director of the Alumni Association said if the chosen candidate has the capacity to keep “taking it on and at least listen,” he or she will be successful.
“What’s behind all the qualifications is what’s important,” she said.
That prompted committee member and USNH Trustee Stephen Taylor to say the search is as much about the university and the state of New Hampshire making a favorable impression as it is about finding the right person for the job.
“We need to sell ourselves,” Taylor said. “We need to say, Look what we’ve got here.’”
Wanda Mitchell, vice president for diversity in Academic Affairs, talked of the need for a president who can show how he or she has advanced inclusion.
“The people I represent will be looking to see those characteristics,” she said.
On the subject on whether the committee would consider an internal candidate, Dupont noted all potential candidates will be treated the same, adding their knowledge of the campus could be a factor but their qualifications and the campus they come from are more important elements.
“My hope is we’ll have 20 candidates and the problem will be which one to choose,’’ Dupont said.
For more information on the search visit http://www.usnh.unh.edu/unh_pres_search/