University of Arizona President's Educational Background

There are currently many university presidential searches underway across the country for a variety of reasons, creating a growing demand for qualified candidates – capable, visionary candidates. Distinguished universities are often led by Nobel Prize winners, members or fellows of national academicians, or other nationally or internationally recognized academic leaders.

To assist in the ongoing search for the University of Arizona's next president, I have submitted the following “Minimum Academic Requirements for Presidential Candidates” to the Chair of the University of Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), the Executive Search Firm (ESF), and the Presidential Selection Advisory Committee (PSAC).

“(…) You must be at least a nationally recognized scholar and innovator (ideally in a scientific field) with an outstanding academic record and achievements, including at least one National Academy membership or fellowship, at least six or more national association fellowships, several national and international awards and recognitions, and dozens of patents. (…) While the above criteria may seem high-handed or excessive to some, please be advised that, at least in some colleges at the University of Arizona, they are not considered sufficient to justify promotion to professor.”

In her article, “Search Committee Focuses on Qualities Desired for Next University of Arizona President,” Ellie Wolf finds that the Presidential Search Advisory Committee has watered down the above requirements to simply “the criterion for candidates is that they be serving as professors,” which is completely insufficient and an insult to the university and its faculty.

The University of Arizona prides itself on being a science powerhouse, being an R1 (Research I) institution, defined as a “PhD University – Very High Research Activity.” R1 universities, as defined above, are expected to be led by exceptionally accomplished academic leaders, never by visionary accountants, CEO-type corporate managers, or politicians, just as you would never put these types in command of an aircraft carrier battle group. More specifically, presidential candidates should be people with the same qualities as the people in the institution they lead, which in this case is an academic organization.

If ABOR, ESF, and PSAC believe the above goals are ambitious and unattainable for the University of Arizona, or are hesitant to raise their goals for fear that raising them will mean they will no longer attract applicants, then the University of Arizona needs an honest reality check to see where it actually ranks nationally and globally compared to its peer universities, rather than against commercial ranking services such as U.S. News & World Report.

Another thing is that as an Associate Professor of Engineering at this university, I meet all of the minimum requirements listed above, and so should the next president of the University of Arizona.