Dive Brief:
- The Iowa Board of Regents chose business consultant and former corporate executive J. Bruce Harreld over three other candidates with traditional academic credentials to be the next president of the University of Iowa.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that some faculty believe the choice foreshadows more profit-oriented, corporate-style leadership for the university, and a faculty poll showed less than 3% of respondents believe Harreld is qualified to do the job.
- While Harreld faced hostile questioning from skeptics throughout the finalist process, he does have some support, including from a number of administrators who expect his business background to make him an ally to their cause.
Dive Insight:
Concerns at the University of Iowa are that its top leadership will not reflect the values of those within the university community. In recent years, former president Sally K. Mason put up a fight against actions by the Board of Regents that would have taken money away from the university. The Chronicle cites concern that Harreld’s opinions will mirror the board’s in funding questions like that.
With money tight, one wonders whether other states will follow Iowa’s lead in shifting the leadership of public university systems. Voters in Illinois elected businessman Bruce Rauner as governor with his lack of political experience serving as an asset during the race. Donald Trump’s race for president seems to mirror that dynamic. Will public school leadership follow?