Tuesday, February 11, 1997
CHANCELLOR:
Search for Young’s successor narrowed down to fourBy Patrick
Kerkstra
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The search committee responsible for producing the names of
potential successors to Chancellor Charles Young has settled on a
short list of four candidates, according to sources close to the
search process and documents obtained by the Daily Bruin.
UC President Richard Atkinson is solely responsible for
selecting the single name that will be submitted to the UC Board of
Regents for approval, but it is unlikely he would select a name not
on the search committee’s finalist list.
The candidates make for an eclectic mix. Included are officials
from public and private universities from across the country, a
former high-ranking government official and UCLA Law School Dean
Susan Prager.
In addition to Prager, the finalists include Stanford Provost
Condoleezza Rice, Harvard Provost Albert Carnesale and University
of Florida President John Lombardi.
The search committee has also compiled a second list of
"reserve" candidates which they will turn to if the individuals on
the top list decline the job. Gerald Levey, dean of UCLA’s Medical
School and Raymond Orbach, chancellor of UC Riverside, are two of
the candidates considered to top that list.
It is not clear yet who among the top four is the front-runner.
But some members of the committee have been more vocal in support
of certain candidates than others, sources said.
"The faculty have pretty much lined up behind Prager," one
source close to the search said.
According to that same source, Atkinson pushed hard for Prager’s
name to be on the finalist list.
And although Levey is on the reserve list, the medical school
dean was strongly supported by some regents on the committee, the
source said.
Regardless of who is chosen, the individual called upon to lead
one of the nation’s largest research universities is near certain
to have an immediate impact on the lives of UCLA students, faculty
and staff.
"UCLA’s next chancellor is going to have a defining role in
determining what the university’s mission is going to be in the
next century," said Student Regent Jess Bravin. "Is it going to be
a flashy research-oriented institution, or is it going to
strengthen its role as the premier public institution in Southern
California?"
Although the candidates’ reputations indicate that they are all
able administrators, it is still unclear whether all of the
finalists would accept the job. Particularly questionable is the
interest of Lombardi and Rice  the two candidates with the
highest national profiles.
In 1995, Florida’s Lombardi turned down the top post at Johns
Hopkins University. He also asked that his name be removed from
consideration as a finalist for the University of Michigan’s top
position.
"Scarcely six months go by before he’s nominated for one
position or another," said Linda Gray, spokeswoman for the
University of Florida. "From a personal perspective, we’d hate very
much to lose him."
The University of Florida , like the UC, is in a nine-campus
system overseen by a board of regents.
Lombardi has been credited with raising the University of
Florida’s stature significantly in his tenure.
"I guarantee you my degree is much more valuable now then it
would have been before he came here," student body President Brian
Burgoon said.
Lombardi, who did not return calls or an e-mail, is also
immensely popular among students, administrators and faculty at the
University of Florida.
"It probably takes him twice as long to get across campus as it
would anyone else because he’s busy saying ‘hi’ to everyone,"
Burgoon said.
Stanford Provost Rice, who is also considered a candidate for UC
Berkeley’s chancellor opening, has indicated that she has no plans
to leave Stanford.
"She’s very happy at Stanford and she’s not interested in being
a candidate anyplace else," said Terry Shepard, Stanford’s director
of communications.
Rice, who is a prominent Republican with considerable high-level
government experience, is often considered for top university
posts.
Her experience in Washington, D.C. as a high-ranking official in
former President Bush’s National Security Council is admired by
both Atkinson and some regents, a source said. She has also won
recognition for her management of Stanford’s budget.
Stanford student body President Bill Shen described her as
"savvy and articulate."
"I don’t agree with her on a lot of levels," Shen said. "But
anyone you talk to has the utmost respect for her."
The sole UCLA academic on the top finalist list has the smallest
national profile of any of the candidates. But Prager, who sources
say is supported by many faculty members, is a well-respected
campus figure with a long history at UCLA.
Law School spokeswoman Karen Nikos declined to comment on the
search or Prager’s candidacy.
Harvard Provost Albert Carnesale, a former federal arms-control
expert and later dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government,
rounds out the list.
Carnesale was unavailable for comment, and Harvard University
representatives did not return calls.
The search committee is currently in the process of contacting
the four finalists, and plans to interview between three and five
individuals at the end of this month, sources said.
After those interviews, committee members will individually and
privately vote for their top choice, which President Atkinson will
take under advisement when choosing the final candidate.
The Board of Regents is expected to vote on Atkinson’s
recommendation at their March 20-21 meeting.