Dive Brief:
- Emails between members of the Iowa Board of Regents and the University of Iowa’s incoming president J. Bruce Harreld have created more suspicion and distrust among the campus community.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education reports Harreld met trustees before turning in his application for the presidency and was courted before being chosen as a finalist and then the university’s next president.
- Faculty members do not trust that the search committee was as thorough and objective as it should have been, considering Harreld’s treatment.
Dive Insight:
J. Bruce Harreld’s hiring as the next president of the University of Iowa has riled up faculty members, students, and alumni across the state. Harreld has a business background and no experience in university administration. While it is uncommon for people outside of academia to lead major universities, others in similar situations have fared well, with University of California President Janet Napolitano, for example, receiving general support leading the massive state school system.