Curators to discuss new UM president

Elson Floyd might continue as president until late spring.

By Roseann Moring, Staff Writer
Jan. 19, 2007

The process of selecting a UM system president to replace Elson Floyd began Jan. 11 when the Board of Curators interviewed executive recruiting firms.

The board is next scheduled to discuss the new president at a meeting from Jan. 25-26 at the UM-St. Louis campus.

The Board of Curators is the nine-member governing board of the UM system, which represents UMSL, UM-Kansas City, UM-Rolla and MU.

"What these firms do is look for the best qualified field of prospective candidates," UM system spokesman Scott Charton said. "They may actually approach some of those candidates, and they answer inquiries (from the candidates)."

Charton said a time frame has not been set for the selection of an agency, and he doesn't know when the Curators will choose a new president.

"It's very much a matter of timetables that haven't been worked out yet," he said.

Board Chairman Don Walsworth stated in a press release last week that Floyd told the Curators he is willing to continue as president until late spring.

Charton said if a new president is not chosen in that time, an interim president will be chosen.

The Curators interviewed three firms: Heidrick & Struggles in Chicago, Baker-Parker in Atlanta and Greenwood & Associates in Miramar Beach, Fla.

The board decided in a unanimous vote that all nine members and the student representative to the board will be on the presidential search committee.

Walsworth stated in a press release that the board will "encourage comments and participation in the search process from university constituencies including students, faculty, staff and alumni."

Charton said though there is not yet a formal way to submit comments, students can contact Maria Kerford, the student representative to the board, with their opinions.

He said the last time the board chose a new president — four years ago when Floyd came into office — members had more time because the previous president was retiring rather than taking another job.

Floyd announced in December that he would leave the system to take a job as Washington State University's president.

"It is with considerable mixed emotions that today I made the decision to leave the University of Missouri for Washington State University," Floyd stated in a letter sent on Dec. 13 to students, faculty and others associated with the university.

During his tenure as president, Floyd helped increase total enrollme nt and minority enrollment on all four campuses. Total enrollment on the four campuses totals more than 63,000 students, up from 56,000 five years ago, according to a press release from Charton.

"He has worked very hard all across Missouri to build a strong coalition for public higher education that will benefit our state's citizens and particularly our future students," Chancellor Brady Deaton said in a statement about Floyd. "Thanks in a large part to his efforts, we have sent a united message to our state government leaders regarding the great value of higher education."

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