Replacing Bruce Benson will be a political affair
The University of Colorado Board of Regents has fired up its pickapresident machine, and we can assure you of one result: Politics, more than ever, will decide who will replace Bruce Benson, who has announced he will step down in July 2019 after 11 years in charge.
Benson served twice as long as any of the previous eight CU presidents.
For those who expect the process to be filled with harps and unicorns, bear in mind Benson barely won a contentious regents vote 54 to become president, with the unseen hand being aggressive Republican backing.
Benson was a surprise pick for president, heavy in business experience but light in higher education credentials. He was one of the first to apply businessworld principles to higher ed, which predictably pleased some and angered others. The results were positive, particularly in the areas of fundraising for CU and overall stability.
The selection process has begun. Sue Sharkey, board chair of the regents, has announced how the board will choose a new leader. We’re pleased that the board named Republican Heidi Ganahl and Democrat Irene Griego as cochairs of the search committee and issued a call for nominations for members of that group. The nomination period will run until Oct. 8. The board will hold a special meeting on Oct. 24 to appoint the search committee. The board also will review qualifications of search firms.
“The board is committed to this being a bipartisan process to find a president who will lead the university community,” Sharkey wrote.
Yes, we shall see about that. Republicans hold a 54 majority on the board. I believe that Benson will work hard with them and other Republicans to ensure they get someone that passes ideological muster and toes the GOP line.
The system discourages robust debate because political parties have highly politicized the CU presidentialselection process, mirroring our society in general.
I thought it was that way when I served two terms on the board, from 1993 to 2005. So I do know something about how these things work behind the scenes, and I hope not to see a repeat of that.
But those days were nothing compared to today, which sadly includes a collapse of basic civility between Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives.
In the public arena, it’s not about who’s the best person for the job. Even simple decisions become very political.
The most important job CU regents have is the hiring and firing of CU’s president. They need to get this one right.
Everyone has to be diligent about keeping the process open, transparent and authentic — and not predetermined by the dominant party.
I would remind board members that they first should look inside the university itself for presidential candidates. They also should look throughout the state for effective leaders — movers and shakers — including those at other Colorado state colleges and universities.
The search should live up to the university’s stated fairness goals, not just be a rubberstamp process.
The ultimate decision should be based on who’s best for CU, not who’s best for any political party or agenda.