Presidential search down to Four

Rich Read of the Oregonian interviews search Chair Connie Ballmer:

… Conceivably, the board could toss out all four finalists and instruct the search committee to conduct another round of recruitment and requests for nominations. But Ballmer said search committee members “feel great” about the current four finalists, and she hopes to have a president picked in weeks, not months.

Presumably the bargaining by the finalists will include asking the trustees what resources they will secure for the new President, to make their first few years a success. The $1B Knight donation, and exactly what strings will be attached, would seem to be the first question.

Meanwhile no word on what the transition team will look like. The new president will need to quickly figure out how to develop a good working relationship with the faculty – something the current Johnson Hall dwellers seem constitutionally incapable of. Unfortunately they’ll be the ones controlling access.