A hire power

Should UA System leader be a friendly pick?

Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of the great state of Arkansas, would be a welcome occupant of the Oval Office.

Not everyone will agree, of course. But compared to the choices the major political parties have produced for November, can anyone really suggest a Hutchinson ticket wouldn’t be more promising for the next four years?

But Hutchinson’s potential to be the next president of the United States peaked the moment he announced his candidacy. A smooth-tired dragster could have gotten more traction in a hog wallow.

So it’s only natural that Arkansas’ native son should come home and become president of the University of Arkansas System, right?

It was back on March 17 that columnist John Brummett dedicated his space on the Voices Page to rumblings among UA insiders that Hutchinson might find favor on the 10-person UA System Board of Trustees when it comes time to replace Don Bobbitt. Bobbitt’s contract runs through 2025, although there appears to be some chatter about whether he’ll be in the post that long.

Bobbitt, formerly a chemistry professor and dean of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences in Fayetteville, has been UA System president since 2011.

On March 23, Hutchinson’s interest moved into the news pages. Reporter Ryan Anderson detailed the political dance going on. Hutchinson, who lives in Benton County, expressed an interest, trustee Sheffield Nelson acknowledged. Nelson called it “speculation” since Bobbitt is still under contract. But “you’d have to consider” Hutchinson because of his background and life experiences.

Hutchinson is a “CEO-type leader” with a great background, trustee Ed Fryar told the reporter. And the board shouldn’t wait until the end of 2025 to consider Bobbitt’s potential successor, Fryar said. But Bobbitt’s doing a great job, he added.

Fryar and Sheffield are among eight trustees who were appointed by Hutchinson during his eight years as governor.

For Hutchinson’s part, the UA-Fayetteville law school alumnus said he supports Bobbitt but would be honored to be considered should the position come open.

Hutchinson would likely do a fine job as president of the UA System. His governorship wasn’t exactly a high-water mark for higher education in Arkansas, but it wasn’t antagonistic toward intellectual advancement, either. He unquestionably has served Arkansas and his nation well in his positions of public service and would likely continue along that path.

But even if Hutchinson could do the job and do it well, this hint-dropping among friends seems a strange process for hiring the head of UA System, which certainly ought to be filled by the best-qualified candidate. That doesn’t always mean the best-connected candidate.

Hutchinson’s hiring would look, plain as day, like gubernatorial appointees doing their benefactor a big favor in his senior years (he’s 73). Given Arkansas history, that’s not at all a disqualifier.

Perhaps some will believe Bobbitt’s post is a perfect spot for a former governor’s soft landing. Perhaps Hutchinson’s selection would be a way to stave off heavy influence by the current governor, Sarah Sanders, over the UA System’s next president. Some might see that as a benefit.

It just seems the next UA System president, first and foremost, should be the most capable and driven advocate for higher education available.

Hutchison wouldn’t be the first state political leader to land a publicly funded government appointment, and he wouldn’t be the last one, either. And some people are OK with a friendly hiring process that starts with an end in mind. Is that a good way to approach this post?

We’ll put it this way: What if, in the wake of his unsuccessful presidential bid, Hutchinson decided he wanted to be the University of Arkansas’ athletic director?

Then, we suspect, the hiring process would be a bit less casual.