w w '7 v -- THE 13TH PRESIDENT The Michigan Daily - Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 5 Female educational leaders becoming more accepted By Karen Schwartz and Maria Sprow Daily News Editors Brandon "The only thing more challenging than being president of the University would be being interim president." Mary Sue Coleman, elected yesterday to be the next Univer- sity of Michigan president, is one of three women currently leading Big Ten universities. Coleman, who will start her term as president Aug. 1, has held leadership roles in the higher education community for many years. She is joined by former University provost Nancy Cantor, who is now chancellor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and Sharon Stephens Brehm, the chancellor of Indiana University at Bloomington. But despite Coleman following in the footsteps of 12 male presidents and being the first woman to hold this position, she and others are placing the emphasis on the job and not the gender. "My sense is that it is important for us to note that Mary Sue Coleman was the first woman to be elected president, but that is not the entire story," said Earl Lewis, chair of the Presi- dential Search Advisory Committee. He added that though she is the first woman president, she was chosen because of her qualifications across the board. "Mary Sue was named president because she combined experience, ability and vision and if she lacked those things ,she would not have been selected. That's part of who she is, that's not all of who she is," he said. When asked if she considers herself a role model for young women who might aspire to the presidential position, Coleman again addressed the role she is taking on as opposed to focus- ing on the fact that she is a woman. "This is a hard job, it is a difficult job for both men and women," she said. Coleman added that she hopes young people, regardless of gender, recognize their potential and the possibilities for their futures. "I would hope that all young people know that they can aspire to be whatever they want (to be)" she said. Charles Colbert, vice-chancellor for administration and human resources at the Urbana-Champaign campus, is work- ing for a woman for the first time in an administrative capaci- ty. Though he was not involved in Cantor's hiring process, Colbert said he would not have thought that her being a woman would influence the decision "at all," as the University of Illinois has had women leaders at both its campuses. "(Cantor) is a very good person to work for - very smart, very highly regarded in the local community as well as the national scene" Colbert said, adding that although working for a woman is a new experience for him, he has not noticed any difference between her and the men he has worked under. "I have been doing this work for 30 years," he said. "I don't notice that she's different than any males I've worked for." He added that he has been "quite pleased" with how things are going so far and said she is a "very exciting per- son to work for." As far as women's roles on campus over the years, women were not allowed in the Michigan Union until 1954. They took the initiative to find their own place in the University with the creation of the Michigan League in the 1929. Women have always been eligible to be selected for the role of University president, though educational circumstances in earlier years made it all but a practical impossibility. With more women holding high positions in the academic community, that is no longer the case. "Clearly now there is a deeper cohort or pool of women in key academic leadership positions,' Lewis said. "And so as a result, each time we search for a new University president, we include the possibility that women candidates will emerge in the pool," he said. - Regentf David Brandon R-Ann Arbor FOLLOWING IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS FIL POT LeeBohege Betkonfo:Lucin h ie cecsIntaie lednth Uiest nt naeofcntuton eedn the Uiverity' admssios poicie ?h 3f1 t C'N'X t fl' :CSJ Y' { t '~ ~ t 't} Sk 21N *'y k JamesDudertadtFILE PHOTO Years as president: 1988-1996 Best known for: PromotingteLdSivestnesthenihiganiMan dStt em ni e nf t udemisintRlighsan Rep siltesasd durng is er Coleman to fill interim positions By Eizabeth Kassab Daily Staff Reporter Deitch "There is one finalist and she is with us (now)." - Regent Laurence Deitch D-Bingham Farms University General Counsel Marvin Krislov said he recalls being approached by the president of the University of Iowa after he gave a talk on diversity and affirmative reaction a few years ago. "I remember her coming up to me and talking to me and being very sup- portive and positive," Krislov said of the University of Michigan's newly elected president, Mary Sue Coleman. Krislov's first impressions were rein- forced when he met Coleman again and listened to her accept the nomination offered by the University Board of Regents yesterday. "She strikes me as a very warm, posi- tive person who will take Michigan by storm,"he said. Coleman's dedication to diversity is important for an institution that has long placed an emphasis on the same thing, Krislov said. The University's first female presi- dent may likely oversee a date with the U.S. Supreme Court if the court agrees to hear one or both of the lawsuits chal- lenging the University's use of race as a factor in admissions. Both cases were heard by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in December. The court ruled 5-4 in favor of the University in the case challenging the University's Law School, and the plaintiff is expected to appeal the decision to the high court. "I am delighted with her selection," said University Vice President for Com- munications Lisa Rudgers, who worked closely with Coleman in preparing yes- terday's press conference. "I think she will be a very strong voice for public education and the life sciences." Coleman has a background in bio- chemistry, and the University of Iowa increased its funding for research by more than $100 million during her seven-year tenure. One of the University of Michigan's larger projects in recent years has been the development of the Life Sciences Initiative. "I was impressed with her deep pas- sion and commitment to the role of a great public university in higher educa- tion," said Cynthia Wilbanks, University vice president for government relations. Wilbanks also mentioned Coleman's enthusiasm for fundraising as an asset. Interim Provost Paul Courant said he and other executive officers will begin discussing issues and information with Coleman in the two months until her inauguration. Coleman has the opportunity to fill three of the nine executive vice presi- dential positions in addition to the provost position. The provost position has been vacant since last summer, when Nancy Cantor left to become chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Two executive officers accepted offers from former University of Michigan President Lee Bollinger to join his executive board at Columbia University. Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Gil Omenn announced he will step down from his post to concentrate on research. Gary Krenz, special counsel to the president, said it is too early to tell when searches will begin to fill the vacant positions. "Right now I think we're in celebration mode "he said. However, Coleman said filling in the vacant positions will be a "very high pri- ority" for her as soon as she arrives at the University. Although she said she was impressed by many of the adminis- trators she has met here, she said she will still conduct searches for all the positions that are currently held by people only temporarily. "We have a process that we must go through,"she said. LOOING FOR AN UPDATE ON NEWS DURING THE WEEK? VISIT OUR WEBSITE. LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO FILL THOSE HOT SUMMER DAYS WITH? WANT TO WRITE FOR THE DA LY STOP BY THE BUILDING AT 420 MAYNARD ST. OR CALL US AT 76-DAILY U _ iaylor "If anyone has any reservations, you should see that list. It is something that would make you very proud." - Regent Martin Taylor D-Grosse Pointe Farms (spoken in reference to the list of over 200 presidential candidate nominees reviewed by the Presi- dential Search Advisory Commit- tee) we' 5el te & nt~e jte fe, NO 0~ n Nr~1s &CasNo fees & Join the University of Michigan Credit Union and save money withk low cost accounts. We have 3 offices in Ann Arbor: * Central Campus at 333 East a William *-North Campus in the Pierpont Commons * 777 Eisenhower Plaza FreXCheck y. ; ~ liii wa