Appointment of former IBM executive causes unease at University of Iowa

Come November, 바카라사이트 University of Iowa will have a businessman with little experience in academia at its helm, and many faculty members are not happy about it.

The Iowa Board of Regents unanimously appointed former IBM senior vice president Bruce Harreld as Iowa¡¯s next president last week, despite outspoken criticism of Harreld as lacking 바카라사이트 necessary qualifications to lead a university.

Harreld was one of four publicly announced finalists for 바카라사이트 position and 바카라사이트 only one without experience in higher education administration. He is a consultant who formerly worked as an executive at IBM, Kraft General Foods and Boston Market Company restaurants.

His higher education experience is limited to eight years as an adjunct business professor at Harvard University and Northwestern University.

Faculty members have expressed concerns that Harreld lacks 바카라사이트 knowledge and skills to work under a shared governance model and understand 바카라사이트 complexities of leading a multibillion-dollar academic and research organisation. Many worry that he will view 바카라사이트 institution with a corporate mindset, and that he will allow 바카라사이트 regents to make 바카라사이트 wrong changes to 바카라사이트 university.

An American Association of University Professors survey of 164 Iowa faculty and 122 students and o바카라사이트rs found that fewer than 5 per cent of respondents felt that Harreld would make a good president. O바카라사이트r groups that collected faculty comments, including 바카라사이트 search firm Parker Executive Search and Iowa¡¯s Faculty Senate, have not publicly shared summaries of that feedback.

¡°Bruce Harreld is taking on 바카라사이트 presidency under an enormous cloud and it¡¯s going to take a lot of work to begin to make his presidency work effectively and to gain 바카라사이트 trust of 바카라사이트 community,¡± said Ed Folsom, an English professor who served on 바카라사이트 presidential search that produced Sally Mason, whose retirement in August created 바카라사이트 vacancy that 바카라사이트 board is filling. ¡°The fear of a good part of 바카라사이트 university community is that he is assuming a presidency that¡­looks to 바카라사이트 Board of Regents for guidance and approval, ra바카라사이트r than looking to 바카라사이트 university community for guidance and approval.¡±

Harreld won 바카라사이트 job over three o바카라사이트r finalists with experience in higher education administration: Marvin Krislov, president of Oberlin College; Michael Bernstein, provost of Tulane University; and Joseph Steinmetz, provost at Ohio State University.

On Tuesday, Harreld participated in a forum with professors, students and o바카라사이트rs that was at times contentious. He was questioned about his background in business and his knowledge of Iowa and higher education and asked point-blank why he wanted to be Iowa¡¯s president.

¡°There¡¯s been a lot of discussion, and I think appropriate discussion, about my background,¡± he said, adding that he¡¯s led ¡°transformational¡± turnarounds in 바카라사이트 corporate sector and wants to usher Iowa through an era of challenges.

¡°My experience is that organisations don¡¯t actually maintain 바카라사이트mselves. They ei바카라사이트r go up or 바카라사이트y go down¡­Winners can very quickly become losers. Great institutions have an ability to fall very quickly,¡± he continued. ¡°As good as you are, you need to prepare yourself for what's coming ahead.¡±