THE 12TH PRESIDENT The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 6, 1996 - 38 Faculty excited about Bollin er's return to 'U' By David Rossman Daily Staff Reporter Under the University's 12th president, faculty members are hoping to gain a louder voice and more muscle in adminstrative decisions. And many have said" Lee Bollinger - the regents' ire - will lend a more sympathetic ear to fac- y concerns. A former dean of the University's Law School, Bollinger will leave his current post as provost at Dartmouth College to return to Ann Arbor in a new light. "I wish I were as happy about the outcome of the U.S. presidential election -as I am about the selection of Bollinger," said Law Prof. Terry Sandalow, who worked under Bollinger during his period as Law School dean. "I was not sur- 'sed. It seemed to me that he was such an out- standing candidate that it would turn out the way it did." Prof. Thomas Dunn, chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, said Bollinger's experience at the University should allow him a head start. "I think (Bollinger) is very popular on the part of the faculty. It was not a big surprise," Dunn said. "Obviously he's not a stranger to us. He will be able to hit the ground running." The faculty is interested in exactly where Bollinger will be running after settling down in his office, said SACUA co-chair Louis D'Alecy, who advocates increased faculty involvement in the administration. "Being a sort of semi-insider, (Bollinger) should be sensitive to the compelling need for faculty involvement in the governance of the University," D'Alecy said yesterday. "As we have seen from previous presidencies, excluding the faculty is not beneficial," he said. Law Prof. Samuel Gross agreed that the regents made a good choice, and said he looks forward to working with Bollinger. "(Bollinger) has deep values, and he's very good at communicating with people," Gross said. "He's someone who knows and loves Michigan." Gross described Bollinger as "a (former) mem- ber of the faculty who believes in the educational mission of the University, and understands direct- ly what faculty members do." Many faculty members said the selection didn't come as a great surprise, and Dunn credited the choice to the strengths Bollinger will bring to the University. "His outside experience is very broad," he said. In addition, Law Prof. Theodore St. Antoine said Bollinger is a good fit with the University. St. Antoine also worked with Bollinger when he was dean of the Law School. "(Bollinger has) a strong adherence to intellec- tual and academic values. He is also very warm and understanding with individuals," St. Antoine said. While faculty members anticipate Bollinger's arrival, some expressed a desire for a president with no previous ties to the University. "Some faculty members would have preferred a total outsider," Dunn said. "We felt that each of the candidates were not only acceptable, but all were excellent." "I wish him all the best - it's going to be a chal- lenge (for Bollinger), but he's got a long history," D'Alecy said. t1 believe he can hit the ground running and move quickly." - Regent Nellie Varner (D-Detroit) Far left: Regent Shirley McFee (R-Battle Creek) lis- tens to her colleagues as they deliberated over the selection of the next University president yester- day morning. Above: Regents Philip Power (D-Ann Arbor) and Nellie Varner (D-Detroit) embrace after the board's selection. Left: Presidential search consultant Malcolm MacKay of Russel Reynolds Inc. speaks to the regents. Photos by JOSH BIGGS and WARREN ZINN/Daily Bollinger comes the closest to corresponding with the criteria." - Regent Philip Power (D-Ann Arbor) Other 3 candidates face futures away from 'U' The Remaining 3 After days of interviews and town meetings, three of the four candi- dates will remain at their college campus. yJodi S. Cohen Daily Staff Reporter After conducting the most public search in the University's 179-year history, the Board of Regents chose the finalist with the most intimate *rowledge of the University. And the candidate iom the regents know the best. While former Law School Dean Lee Bollinger will return to Ann Arbor, the other three finalists will stay at their home institutions. "I wouldn't do it again," said Larry Faulkner, vice chancellor and provost at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, about participating in the search. University of Pennsylvania Provost Stanley Chodorow said he "had a good time" during his day campus interviews and public meetings and said has no regrets about participating as a finalist. "It is not something one is disappointed about. It is not like getting into college," Chodorow said. "It would have been an opportunity." "It's over and by tomorrow afternoon, the sub- ject will be in the past. It was in the past for me this afternoon since I heard," Chodorow said about his phone call from Law School Dean Jeffrey Lehman, chair of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee. Chodorow, a scholar in medieval history, joked t the town-hall style meeting reminded him of a medieval doctoral exam where a Ph.D. candidate "has to stand in a public place all day long and answer all-comers in any subject." "Next time I teach a course in medieval history, Ill be able to speak from personal experience about what it was like," Chodorow said. The finalists' experiences left them with a new knowledge of the University, but also with a desire to continue leading back home. "Knowledge of another first-rate research uni- *rsity is always helpful in giving you perspective on what you're doing yourself," Chodorow said yesterday. "Throughout that day, I was asked to formulate my views. Hearing myself do that on my feet was also very useful." Faulkner, however, said the public search process, which precluded private meetings with the regents or other key University players, left "the candidates and the regents with much too lit- tle opportunity to learn what they needed to learn." A lawsuit brought by area newspapers as well as the judge's subsequent ruling, barred all private interaction between the regents and candidates. The court ruling made one candidate - LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg - withdraw her name as a finalist just hours before the advisory committee announced its recommendations. "At the end, I felt I knew very little about the University of Michigan," said Faulkner, who added that his respect for Lehman was a primary factor in his decision to remain as a finalist. "My continued participation was in no small part due to loyalty to him," Faulkner said. Chodorow realized that although the process had barriers, it was necessary. "There are limitations in an open process," Chodorow said. "There isn't anything to do but go through it the way it was set up." But the Illinois provost said that the daylong meetings with the finalists could not reveal enough of the candidates' personalities or leadership styles. "A president does a great deal of business in pri- vate conversations," Faulkner said. "The regents have no ability to judge that in this type of process." Faulkner acknowledged that the University may have difficulty attracting candidates in future pres- idential searches if the same process is used. It was successful this time because of its reputation as a high-caliber institution, he said. "I think the University of Michigan has suc- cessfully concluded a process like this largely because of what it is and not because of what the process is," Faulkner said. . Carol Christ, the third finalist and provost at the University of California at Berkeley, congratulated the regents on their choice. "I very much enjoyed my visit to Michigan and the chance to learn more about the University," Christ said in a written statement. "It's a great institution." Pols see next pres. as effective link to Lansig By Chris Metinko and Jenni Yachnin Daily Staff Reporters Although they were surprised about how quickly a new University president was chosen, local and state officials said they were pleased with tIe regents' selection of Dartmouth Provost Lee Bollinger. "I'm surprised they came to a decision today," said Mayor Ingrid Sheldon (R-Ann Arbor). "Bollinger was a respected dean in the Law School, so he has the advantage of knowing the students, faculty and the campus:" The University Board of Regents selected Bollinger as the 12th University president just before noon yesterday. "I think (he's) an excellent choice," said state Rep. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor). Several public officials remember Bollinger from his 21 years at the University prior to heading to New Hampshire. "I knew him when he was dean of the Law School," said state Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith (D-Ann Arbor). "He is a man of patience, he's very bright, very cordial, a bright talented man who is modest." Cynthia Wilbanks, associate vice president for University relations, said, "I'm pleased the regents could come together to select Provost Bollinger." "He was the dean of the Law School when I was gover- nor," said former Democratic Gov. James Blanchard. "He was very highly respected. I would congratulate Lee Bollinger." Funding issues have strained relations between the regents and Lansing over the last year, Smith said. However, many feel Bollinger has the necessary administration skills to tackle this problem. "He expressed himself well and that's an important part of relations in Lansing," Wilbanks said. "He strikes me as an individual who is not afraid to come and explain a University decision to the Legislature, even if it's not our business," Smith said. "The Legislature in the past year has overstepped its authority in terms of its relationship with the University. "In Lansing the University of Michigan is perceived, to a lesser degree in the last year, as a very arrogant institution. Bollinger is a very modest man who can deal with these dif- ferences," Smith said. See OFFICIALS, Page 48 I believe that Lee Bollinger is the best leader for the University of Michigan." -- Regent Rebecca McGowan (D-Ann Arbor) "Lee Bollinger is our man ..,, it's rigft for Michigan."f - Regent Daniel Horning (R-Grand Haven) Photos by JOSH BIGGS and WARREN ZINN/Daily