In Search for College Chiefs, Faculty Input Can Feel Like a Mere Formality
In January 2014, Donald L. White and a few of his faculty colleagues at Kent State University gathered for an event with the trappings of great import. Mr. White, a mathematics professor, had been summoned to Rockwell Hall for an emergency meeting of the Committee on Administrative Officers, a group empowered by university policy to interview all of the finalists for major administrative posts. But as the committee began its questioning of Beverly J. Warren, a candidate for the university’s presidency, Mr. White could not help noticing a frenzy of activity outside the door. As it turned out, a nearby room was being readied for a big announcement: Kent State’s board had already selected Ms. Warren to be the university’s next leader. A few minutes later, the board whisked Ms. Warren off for a grand presidential unveiling.