Presidential selection process can be done openly

I'm withholding judgment on Margaret Spellings, named last week to be the new president of the University of North Carolina system. After all, Spellings, a former U.S. secretary of education, will not take office until next March.

But while I withhold judgment on Spellings, who has been praised as a visionary leader and consensus builder and derided as a GOP political hack, I can form an opinion of the selection process the UNC Board of Governors chose. The search for a new president to replace the popular and respected Tom Ross was carried out almost entirely in secrecy and without input from UNC faculty, administrators, or the public. According to press reports, only one candidate for the position was interviewed by the board before the vote to select Spellings, making the decision to hire Spellings an coronation, not a deliberative group decision.

The contrast between the UNC selection process and the one used just months earlier when Barton College chose a new president is startling. Barton, a small private college affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), selected Doug Searcy after a nationwide search that identified four finalists. Each of the finalists visited the campus in Wilson and met with faculty and students. The Barton Board of Trustees even invited selected members of the Wilson community to meet the candidates, question them and offer their impressions of the candidates. (I was one of the dozen or more community representatives.) Barton had followed the same exemplary process 12 years ago when it hired Norval Kneten for his successful and transforming presidency of the college.

It is sad that a small private college should set such a transparent and expansive example for inclusive decision-making while the state's public university (supported by taxpayer dollars) gives a lesson in exclusion, secretiveness, insular thinking, and arbitrariness.

The UNC system (and all of higher education in America) faces difficult times ahead, but the Board of Governors' decision to make the presidential selection process an enigma wrapped in political thinking and exclusion will not help the university's ability to face its challenges and retain the public's support.

A college president leaves vision, achievements

Here's one job I wouldn't want — following Norval Kneten as president of Barton College. Whatever you do is not likely to compare to Kneten's transformation of Barton in 11 short years.

Kneten announced his retirement, effective a year from now, yesterday. He came here with strong credentials but nothing to predict his impact upon Barton. He came with a vision and a determination to lift Barton in many ways — academically, aesthetically, financially and competitively. He hit the ground running, making key contacts throughout the community, building relationships with public and business officials, faculty and alumni. He made sure Barton was woven into the fabric of the community, that its financial, academic, intellectual and artistic influence on Wilson was recognized and expanded. He built partnerships with the city, and he raised money. Being a college president these days means being a fundraiser, and he has been extraordinary in that regard.

Under his guidance, Barton has improved its physical presence with a new theater, athletic facilities, signature bell tower and a dormitory, all aimed at making the college more visible and distinctive. His latest project, a new landscaped entry into the campus, is nearing completion.

Under his guidance, Barton has raised academic standards and focused on making students prepared for and successful in life. Barton's marketing varies from letters and electronic communications with alumni and donors to billboards on I-40 and full-page ads in magazines. Community involvement in the library, art gallery, athletics and symphony has brought the public into Barton's fold.

Norval and his wife, Susan, have used the president's residence, the Barton-Graves House, into a social, marketing and development dynamo, hosting events for donors, friends of the college and influential neighbors. The Knetens have made their lives integral to the college's fortunes.

When I met Norval 11 years ago, I was quite impressed with him and excited about his energy and his vision for the college, but I never imagined just how far his vision would take the college in so short a time. Barton cannot clone him and will have difficulty finding someone to match his vision and vigor, but, with Norval's imprint in place, it will try. 

This is worthy of "breaking news"

Barton College's announcement that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has reaffirmed the Wilson college's accreditation nearly hides the blockbuster in that reaccreditation: SACS has upgraded Barton's status, meaning Barton can now offer graduate-level courses. That change could be huge for Barton.

There's no indication in the announcement that graduate programs are imminent

, but it would make sense for Barton to offer graduate courses in at least a couple of fields

— business and education. BB&T has a couple of thousand employees in Wilson. An MBA from Barton could enhance a young banker's status and improve chances for promotion. Other businesses in Wilson might also take advantage of MBA classes, particularly if offered through the college's innovative Weekend College program. A master's degree in education is a ticket to better pay and potential administrative jobs for teachers. Teachers who now travel to Greenville or Raleigh for a master's degree could avoid a lot of commuting by matriculating at Barton. Again, Weekend College would fit many teachers' schedules. There may be other graduate programs — MSW, M.Div., MSN, etc. — that would be in demand.

Graduate programs would serve the community but would also elevate Barton's status. It's a tough market for small, private colleges competing against less expensive, taxpayer-subsidized, state-supported colleges and universities. Any enhancement a private college could tout would be an advantage.

Norval Kneten, Barton's president, is a pragmatic visionary who has led Barton with his eyes fixed on long-range goals, not just the next semester. He has inspired faculty, alumni and community supporters, and, no doubt, much of the credit for Barton's enhanced SACS status owes to Kneten's leadership. Barton's importance to the Wilson community is difficult to measure. Culturally and intellectually, Barton's scholars, writers and artists raise Wilson above its farm-market roots, so the college's fortunes are interwoven with the city's.

Considering Barton's importance to the community, I'm amazed that the Wilson Times has not trumpeted the news Barton announced Monday. You'd think it would be worth "breaking news" treatment.