Change to university leader search process advanced

Lawmakers gave first-round approval March 8 to a bill that would update the University of Nebraska’s search process for its chancellor and president positions.

LB1109, introduced by Sen. John Murante of Gretna, would require the university’s Board of Regents to provide public notice of a preliminarily selected candidate 30 days before the board votes on whether to hire the candidate. The board would be required to make public the candidate’s application materials and provide a forum in which the candidate would meet with and answer questions from the public.

Murante said the current search process, in which four finalists for a position are publicized, deters some top candidates because it discloses that they are considering a new position. The proposal would allow for public input on the selection and ensure that the university could attract the best possible candidates, he said.

“We’re going to make sure that the citizens of Nebraska are heard and have a say in the process,” Murante said.

Sen. Galen Hadley of Kearney supported the bill, saying that higher education institutions have become so complex that only a small pool of candidates is capable of running them. He said that Nebraska needs to update its search process in order to compete for talent with other schools in its academic conference.

When search committees contact possible candidates about a job opening, Hadley said, a candidate first will ask if his or her name is going to be made public as part of the search process.

“More often than not, if the answer is yes, they’re not interested,” he said.

Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha spoke in opposition to the bill and filed several motions to delay a vote. He said any process that selects candidates for a leadership position at a public university should face public scrutiny. He said the proposed change would hide the board’s selection process from the public and present Nebraskans with a choice of whether to take it or leave it.

“For them to think that they have the right to conduct one of the most important things they do in total secrecy is unacceptable,” he said.

Sen. Beau McCoy of Omaha also opposed the bill. He said that including only one candidate in the public vetting process would not give Nebraskans a chance to compare the candidate’s qualifications to those of the others who were considered. Nebraskans expect transparency in any major decision that affects a publicly funded institution, he added.

Senators voted 36-1 to advance the bill to select file.