<p>I'm betting some of the most competitive candidates (current University Presidents/Provosts, etc.) will apply on Sept 2, as like Baron, they want to avoid the exposure, unless they feel they have a solid chance at the position.</p>
<p>Who would you like to see apply (and/or be offered the job) on Tuesday? Who do you NOT want to apply (or to be offered the job)?</p>
<p>My picks:</p>
<p>To Apply: Dr. Garnett S. Stokes, President Freeman A. Hrabowski III (current President at UMBC, everyone wants this guy, but he has shown no interest in leaving UMBC), and that Zagby's guy that applied (as a Gator, I can't help but pull for this one!).</p>
<p>Not to Apply: E Gordon Gee, past president at OSU and current president at West Virginia (accepted the job this year at WVU). I can't stand this guy. :)</p>
<p>Not sure about who I would want to apply, but I’ve heard enough stories about people that have interacted with Stokes and left questioning why she was working in education and dealing with students regularly when she seemingly hated them. Maybe she’d be a good fit to continue but I don’t know. </p>
<p>I really don’t want Thrasher to get the job since it’s basically him nearly getting the job with little oversight that started this entire mess. Vasalinda… I’ve met her a few times through her visiting classes of mine as an undergrad and she always whined about how tough it is to be a Democrat in the state legislature. It got really old really fast. If not getting her way is such a problem, I’m not sure that University President is the right job for her. Overall though I really just don’t want a politician. </p>
<p>I opened a couple of the CVs listed on the search site. Tawanna Hall’s had a couple typos and a number of… interesting format choices that made it odd. I did kind of like John O’ Neil’s CV.</p>
<p>I’d expect a number of additional applicants to be added, like you said. But so far I’m not sure who from the list would be good. I’d love another person from the EOAS area like Barron, but I know that the odds of that are damn near 0.</p>
<p>A lot of interesting names. At this juncture of everything, I really don’t think that Thrasher is getting the job now. I think there’s too many academic-focused applicants for a politician to get the job. Of course, I’m not on the search committee, so what I think is probably not what they will do. </p>
<p>I like both the Colorado State and UAB people. Some of these applicants you have to read the resumes and just go “wait, you don’t really think you’re getting this, do you?”</p>
<p>Flashback! A comparison with the last job search in 2009. These where the final 3 candidates:</p>
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</p>
<p>I’m surprised at the lack of current university/college presidents applying for the role. Why wouldn’t the presidents at a directional school (UCF, East Michigan, Georgia Southern), or less prestigious (and lower paying) school apply? I wonder if Florida’s sunshine laws have anything to do with it? Barron was able to apply for the PSU job, without it being known. Would the President of Utah State have applied, if his application could have been kept confidential?</p>
<p>I’m surprised as well that there doesn’t seem to be too many high-caliber names. I haven’t reviewed every CV with a fine-toothed comb, but from the looks of it I’m actually almost depressed about a number of the applicants.</p>
<p>A lot of them have connections to for-profit universities, which I’m not ecstatic about. Diploma mills and for-profit universities are an entirely different ballgame than a school like FSU. Not to mention that most of the for-profits have ticked off the government in some way; I’d be wary of anyone associated with one of the universities that have been investigated for basically scamming their students. </p>
<p>I’m interested in seeing who makes it through the first round of cuts. I figure it’s probably going to come down to Stokes, the CSU Chancellor, and a couple others. I don’t know if Stokes will get the job just because her getting it would mean we’d do this all over again to fill her vacancy (not to mention, she sounded as if she really didn’t want the job in an interview I saw this morning, saying something like “I wasn’t sure I wanted to apply”). </p>
<p>I do believe that Sunshine Laws are keeping people from applying. I’ve heard that tossed around before when it came to different appointments, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case.</p>
<p>Going through the list of selected candidates, I like basically everyone that they picked. I’m sure I’m forgetting a couple people that were also great candidates (the bus driver doing research sounded like she’d be a fascinating pick). </p>
<p>There’s really no candidates that made the cut (except maybe Thrasher) that seem like a terrible idea. I’ll give the search committee a lot of credit there, because I really expected them to screw this up.</p>
<p>In talking with a few friends about this, we think we’ve nailed down why Thrasher, who quite honestly doesn’t seem to belong in that group of finalists, was selected: It’s a thank you to him for all that he’s done for FSU. </p>
<p>That said, I’m glad to hear that a couple of my favorite candidates had strong showings during their interviews Monday. Here’s to hoping that Thrasher’s interview goes poorly so that they can’t possibly keep him (it sounds horrible, but…).</p>
<p>Funny how things end up working out sometimes. FSU will probably have some cocktail receptions for president candidates where trustees and their spouses will get together with candidates and their spouses. The trustees’ spouses will size up candidates and their spouses…then the trustees’ spouses (wives) will tell their trustee husbands whom to hire for FSU president job! :)</p>
<p>Ugh. Well, I guess the search committee will have to deal with massive student riots all across campus if they seriously go through with Thrasher. It really should have been obvious from the start that a pick of Thrasher was a bad idea, but alas… </p>
<p>I do like that Martin made it through. At least 3 of the 4 are good picks (though I don’t like Wheatly as much as I liked Martin and Marchase).</p>
<p>Well, my theories for Thrasher being included have all been ruined. If he wins… I’ll be very disappointed. All of the work put in over the last few years will be for naught. I don’t think the faculty and staff will stick around. We’re ranked #20 by Forbes as a good university to work for (I’ll try to find that link again) but I don’t see that lasting.</p>
<p>Why do you think he’ll run off faculty and staff? IF he’s selected, he’s likely to be president for only a few years (he turns 71, later this year), and he’ll be focused on generating revenue (building stuff and increasing faculty pay). He’s likely not to be that involved with academic governance, letting the Provost act as the COE. Check out the FSU Org chart.</p>
<p>The President only has one direct report, the Provost. All of the Sr VP’s report to the Provost. </p>
<p>This wouldn’t be the first time a “none” academic took on the role at a major university. If Thrasher was a liberal, out campaigning against the evil Koch brothers, would he be getting as much push back from the faculty (and a rather small group of activist students)? </p>
<p>Personally, I like at least two of the other candidates for the job, and I think Thrasher’s nomination has been poisoned, and for that reason he’s not the best selection. Even if another candidate is chosen, it’s not in FSU’s best interest to publicly criticize or condemn Sen.Thrasher (or he’s allies in the state legislature). Funding to expand the FAMU-FSU college of engineering can easily be turned into funding to expand UCF’s or USF’s COE. </p>
<p>No surprise here, sadly. Thrasher was the one that was going to get it in the first place, but at least we could save a little face by doing an actual search, right? This is just pathetic. </p>
<p>
The Faculty Senate were one of the groups to really start pushing back against the original search that quickly appeared to be selecting Thrasher. I believe it was unanimously that they voted against him being the candidate. </p>
<p>There’s basically little support among those employed by the university and those that are paying the tuition and fees to attend the university for Thrasher. The student body and the faculty and staff are vehemently against Thrasher. A non-academic getting a job leading an academic institution over 3 candidates that have an academic background is just a farce.</p>
<p>Not to mention, his interviews in Tallahassee were a joke. He continually side-stepped questions, almost never giving a straight answer to anything he was asked. You can tell he’s a career politician just from those interviews.</p>
<p>On a side note, UF’s eighth president was also a lawyer, well connected Alumni and past chairman of the Board of Regents. Marshall Criser was also very successful. Well see if President Thrasher follows a similar path.</p>
<p>Thrasher being appointed FSU president is kinda like past UF president Stephen C. O’Connell. O’Connell like Thrasher was always very active in Florida politics and was a faithful alumnus of the institution he later served as president. Thrasher might surprise a lot of people and serve FSU well as its president.</p>
<p>UF’s present president, Bernie Machen, is a dentist.</p>