UCF president hunt’s balance raises concern

As the University of Central Florida prepares to ask the public to weigh in on the search for its next president, the head of the faculty union says he is concerned there is not enough faculty and student representation on a committee narrowing the field of finalists.

The UCF presidential search committee will host four sessions Wednesday and Thursday, during which people can tell the members what qualities they would like to see in the next president and why someone should want the job. The Board of Trustees expects to select a successor for President John Hitt before he retires June 30.

The university has embarked on a national search to replace Hitt, who has spent more than 25 years in his role. A 15-person committee that includes three current trustees, two former trustees, two faculty members

and one student will recommend three to five candidates for the Board of Trustees’ consideration. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer plus representatives from the Board of Governors, the university, the UCF Foundation, the alumni board and other community organizations also serve.

But Scott Launier, president of UCF’s faculty union, said he was concerned that his colleagues selected for the committee are not part of the bargaining unit, which includes tenuretrack and non-tenure-track members, and have more administrative roles.

“In our eyes, there is no true faculty representation on that committee,” he said.

Marcos Marchena, chairman of the Board of Trustees, selected the search committee members, as required by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state university system. The Board of Governors rules for search committees say they must include at least three trustees, one member of the Board of Governors and have no more than 15 members total. The panel should also include faculty, students and foundation board members, according to state rules.

“I worked very, very hard to make sure that I had what I considered to be a really good quilt of representation on the search committee,” Marchena said Monday.

Marchena said he asked the faculty Senate president to send him names of people who might be able to serve on the search committee. He selected two.

Manoj Chopra, a professor of geotechnical engineering, is one. He served on Florida A&M University’s presidential search committee about five years ago, when he was a Board of Governors member, representing faculty statewide.

“I do very much care about faculty interests and have significant experience doing so,” said Chopra, whose responsibilities include teaching and working with administrators on matters such as research space. He is also UCF’s NCAA faculty representative.

The committee’s other faculty member, biology professor Linda Walters, could not be reached for comment.

Marchena said he tried to ensure the committee is diverse in other ways, too. Eight committee members are nonwhite or female.

Launier also said he would like to see more students on the committee, saying they have “little voice” there.

Marchena said he asked the Student Government Association president to suggest peers who could serve on the committee. Cristina Barreto, vice president of the SGA, is the only student representative. She declined an interview through Grant Heston, a university spokesman.

“The student body vice president is elected to represent all students,” she said in an email. “My role on the search committee was a strategic selection to ensure all students have a voice on the committee. I have enjoyed being a part of the process and will continue to advocate for students on the committee.”

Marchena said he thought having one student on the committee was adequate. “We are charged with educating students, and I think their voice is extremely important, but the responsibility with selecting the leader of the university falls to those who are charged with making sure that the education of our students is properly carried out.”