Ohio University President Roderick McDavis invited eight more faculty members to the search committee for a new executive vice president and provost yesterday in response to faculty concerns about the committee's composition.
Faculty Senate unanimously passed a resolution in its meeting last week condemning the 23-member committee for, among other things, including only six faculty members. The Ohio University Faculty Handbook requires committees to have a faculty majority membership.
The committee will convene to replace Kathy Krendl, who announced in December that she would take a job as the next president of Otterbein College in July.
Inviting eight more members brings the total size of the committee to 30 members, 14 of which are faculty. John Biancamano, director of Legal Affairs, requested to work ex-officio on the committee.
The president heard the faculty senate concerns
said Becky Watts, chief of staff for McDavis. Their voices were heard this time and that's shared governance in action.
Faculty Senate's resolution maintains that the handbook limits search committees for academic appointments to 14 members total. Watts said the section of the handbook holding search committees to 14 members is enclosed in parentheses.
At 14 faculty members, the committee still falls short of a faculty majority, but Watts said she is confident that the representation is fair. The committee is composed of students, executive staff members, classified and administrative senate representatives, trustees, deans and a distinguished professor.
I think there is no way that the faculty voice would not be heard on this committee she said.
The university also signed a contract with a search firm, Atlanta-based Baker and Associates LLC, Watts said, adding that the firm would be paid 25 percent of the next provost's salary.
Tad Malinski, a distinguished professor of biochemistry, will co-chair the committee with Rathindra Bose, dean of the Graduate College.
The newly invited members have until Jan. 26 to respond and the university expects to confirm the committee's membership by the end of next week.
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Rick Rouan
