Below is the text of a summary that Bill Funk, the search firm specialist 
assigned to our presidential search sent to members of the Presidential 
Search Advisory Council.  I think you will find it interesting and 
reassuring reading.

Lala





>UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
>PRESIDENT SEARCH
>MEMORANDUM
>
>______________________________________________________________________
>______________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>To:  University of Tennessee Board      Re:  Recently Concluded Open Forums
>
>From:  Bill Funk                                Date:  October 7, 2001
>
>
>_______________________________________________________________________
>_______________________________________________________________________
>
>
>Dr. Cole, Dr. Hodges and I  have completed our visits to all of the 
>campuses around the state.  At each location, we met with the Chancellor, 
>enjoyed a tour of the campus, held an ‘Open Forum’ to discuss the 
>President search, and had lunch with local supporters, officials, and 
>alumni.
>
>Our objective in conducting the forums were several-fold:
>¨       provide the university constituents an opportunity to
>       share their thoughts regarding the search process and
>       the attributes they want in the new President
>       with us;
>¨       demonstrate that the search process is open and inclusive;
>¨       educate me about the texture and fabric of the university
>and the prevailing notions about the needs of the university;
>and,
>
>¨       heighten the constituents’ awareness that the search is
>       being launched and that a change in leadership is nearing.
>
>In terms of each of these goals, we feel that our efforts were 
>successful.  There was a genuine appreciation expressed at each location 
>that we had solicited such broad-based input.  Each campus took the 
>opportunity to showcase its mission and accomplishments.  All participants 
>seemed genuinely pleased that the Board had provided them with the 
>opportunity to be heard on this important project.
>
>In a later memo, I will share a more detailed summary of our findings. At 
>this juncture, though, I thought you might appreciate hearing about the 
>five major themes expressed by the people who attended the forums.  They 
>are each offered and briefly discussed below.
>
>
>n       CONCERNS ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE SEARCH PROCESS
>The last President search is a subject of disdain around the state.  There 
>is a strong belief that the last search was manipulated by a select 
>few.  As a result, we fielded numerous pointed questions about the 
>integrity of this current process.  We repeatedly assured the groups with 
>which we met that the part of the process we controlled and are involved 
>in would be conducted in an unassailable manner.
>
>It is imperative that the Search Committee and Board maintain the 
>integrity of this effort because the selected individual’s ability to be 
>lead will be undermined from the beginning of his/her Presidency if a 
>selection is made in a manner inconsistent with what has been outlined by 
>the Governor and reinforced in each of our meetings around the state.  The 
>Search Committee’s and Board’s credibility are very much on the line as 
>the constituents around the state closely watch how this process unfolds.
>
>
>n       APPREHENSION ABOUT AND IMPACT OF DIMINISHING RESOURCES
>
>The single most often cited “challenge” facing the next President of the 
>University of Tennessee is a lack of funding.  It was reported by those 
>who attended the forums that the University has been “doing more with 
>less” for too long a time and that many aspects of the institution are on 
>the precipice of serious problems if relief in this area is not 
>forthcoming soon.
>
>Perhaps the greatest impact of limited resources reported to us is that it 
>is very difficult to attract and recruit new faculty members and there is 
>an increasing exodus of experienced faculty members who are not being 
>compensated on a nationally competitive basis.  Those leaving are being 
>recruited to nationally respected institutions who are offering higher pay 
>and better teaching and research facilities.  There is concern in Memphis, 
>in addition, that significant NIH research funding opportunities are 
>jeopardized because it has old and limited space for wet-lab 
>scientists.  I personally noted serious deferred maintenance issues on 
>both the Knoxville and Memphis campuses.  When I asked the executives on 
>those campuses if this was a correct perception, they indicated that the 
>problem was “huge” and could involve “millions and millions” of dollars.
>
>Optimal funding is rare on any of the nation’s campuses and the problem is 
>typically one of degree.  My sense is that the degree of the problem at 
>the University of Tennessee poses a serious challenge to the next 
>President’s ability to lead the institution forward and that a remedy must 
>be found to the need for more funding.
>
>
>n       ORGANIAZATIONAL STRUCTURE ISSUES
>
>There is a perceptible undercurrent of concern relative to the new 
>organizational structure that was put in place during the last President’s 
>tenure.  The Martin, Memphis, Chattanooga and Tullahoma campuses and their 
>constituents, in particular, are uncomfortable about resource allocation 
>and programmatic decisions when the System President also wears the hat of 
>Knoxville Chancellor.  There is also widespread doubt that one individual 
>can serve effectively in both incredibly demanding roles.  I found it most 
>interesting that several of the individuals who sat on, and had leadership 
>roles on, the Task Force that recommended the new structure do not really 
>have very much enthusiasm about the paradigm.  One leader of the Task 
>Force, in fact, shared his view that the current construct is not optimal!
>
>I suggest that the Board seriously consider a structure which has a 
>separate Chancellor on the Knoxville Campus.  Further, there is much to 
>suggest that the President should be located in Nashville where he/she 
>could be closer to the legislature and more central to all campuses in the 
>system.
>
>
>n       MOST FREQUENTLY SUGGESTED ATTRIBUTES OF THE NEXT
>PRESIDENT
>
>I was struck by the forum attendees’ overwhelming focus on the next 
>President’s personal and “soft” leadership characteristics as compared to 
>his/her professional attributes and experiences.  “A people person...” was 
>the most frequently proffered description of the next President by the 
>constituents who participated in our meetings.  “Visible...a 
>communicator...a good personality...moral...warm...honest...a person of 
>integrity...meets commitments” were other “descriptives” frequently mentioned.
>
>While we will be seeking candidates with all-around strong skill sets, 
>this may be a time in the history of the University when the selected 
>person absolutely must have exemplary interpersonal and communication 
>skills.  There is much “healing” to be accomplished and an individual who 
>lacks people skills will not be appropriately prepared to tackle this 
>dimension of the job.
>
>
>n       APPRECIATION FOR THE WHOLE OF THE UNIVERSITY
>
>One of the attractive features of this Presidency is that it is the chief 
>executive role in a university that has a statewide agenda and encompasses 
>multiple campuses with unique and important missions.  While it is not 
>uncommon for “branch” and “flagship” campuses to experience some tension 
>within a system, we found that the constituents of the campuses in Martin, 
>Memphis, Chattanooga, and Tullahoma feel unusually disassociated from 
>other campuses in the system.  Some of this feeling may stem from the 
>structure issue noted earlier  and may have been exacerbated by the 
>reserved style of the last President.
>
>The next President must work to be inclusive of all institutions in the 
>system.  The President must be visible on all of the campuses and build a 
>sense of “connectedness” among all of the institutions in the system.
>                                 ______________________
>
>Essentially all of the elements of a successful launch to a President 
>search have been accomplished.  Thanks to the good work of Dr. Cole and 
>Dr. Hodges and the Search Advisory Committee, an announcement/ad has been 
>developed and placed in The Chronicle of Higher Education and other 
>pertinent education publications; a “Friends of the University” letter has 
>been developed and will be sent to key supporters of the University (and 
>will ask the recipients for suggestions and nominations); a brochure has 
>been developed which will serve as a key information piece for nominees 
>and nominators; and, now, the campus forums have been successfully 
>concluded.  The web-site which was developed for the search has been the 
>focus of national attention and praise and continues to be an important 
>portal for input by the University’s constituents.
>
>At this juncture, we are beginning the very challenging and critical phase 
>of building the pool of excellent candidates.  We intend to devote the 
>entire month of October to this task.
>
>As the Search process continues, I look forward to meeting and talking 
>with you.
>
>Kind personal regards.
>
>


**************************************
Oralia Preble-Niemi, Ph.D.
Professor and Head
Foreign Languages & Literatures
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN  37403
***************************************