Shhh! We're huntin' presidents

Last week, some IU faculty expressed concern about the secrecy in the ongoing search for the University's next president. The search, which could continue into 2008 when current President Adam Herbert's term is set to expire, has thus far been confidential. The candidates' names have not been made public -- those in consideration for the position are only known to the 13 representatives on the presidential search committee.\nIn an Oct. 18 Indiana Daily Student article, IU law professor J. Alexander Tanford, speaking on behalf of anxious participants at the biweekly Bloomington Faculty Council meeting, said he was "concerned that information that comes from normal faculty-to-faculty communication was not getting to the search committee." Those who want the identities of presidential candidates to be released say the next president should be someone who understands the "unique administrative structure of IU" and is also willing to "work more closely with the state." However, trustee Sue Talbot, a member of the presidential search committee, said that while she can sympathize with the concerns, it is nevertheless "important to keep a certain level of confidentiality so potential candidates would not jeopardize their current positions."\nWe agree. Though it is a hard stance to take in our society, where great value is placed on the public's right to know what those in power are doing, certain processes are able to achieve better overall results when left to the initiative of trusted representatives rather than the direct involvement of the public. This is, after all, why we elect government officials rather than voting as a nation on every single law.\nLike everyone involved in the presidential search, we want to give the position to the person who is the most highly qualified and has the very best credentials. However, to obtain that person, the University may have to lure him or her away from someone who will not wish to surrender such a talented leader. Making the information about those under consideration public means we must also inform whatever institutions that currently employ them of our intentions to steal away their prized staff members. And getting caught in a bidding war is hardly a winning proposition for IU. \nAnd not only would the release of this information jeopardize the search -- it's also unnecessary. The presidential search committee is made up of representatives whose job it is to reflect the concerns of those who weren't given positions on the committee. The search has been set up this way for a reason: If the faculty have a grievance, they can contact their representatives and see that their concerns are taken into consideration. Now if only Bloomington students and undergraduates could be more confident in their representation ...