Comments on: NMSU prez finalist list should raise eyebrows http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2009/10/nmsu-prez-finalist-list-should-raise-eyebrows/ Get the real story Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:10:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: feybarra http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2009/10/nmsu-prez-finalist-list-should-raise-eyebrows/comment-page-1/#comment-9010 feybarra Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:52:01 +0000 http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/?p=8759#comment-9010 It is almost certain that the search committee has been receiving pressure from the Governor (or his trusted "aides") to have the search end with a particular candidate selected for the presidency of NMSU. Having been through this process from the inside, it is easy for me to understand the challenge of maintaining independence of thought and action while still allowing a group/committee process to be productive and yeild the best suited candidates. If any search committee members are visiting this site, I hope they are encouraged by my comments and those of other readers to holdfast to their ethics and do what is best for NMSU and not what is easiest politically. There is no reason NMSU should be considering low quality/ethically challeneged individuals to lead our university - our students and this community deserve better! It is almost certain that the search committee has been receiving pressure from the Governor (or his trusted “aides”) to have the search end with a particular candidate selected for the presidency of NMSU. Having been through this process from the inside, it is easy for me to understand the challenge of maintaining independence of thought and action while still allowing a group/committee process to be productive and yeild the best suited candidates. If any search committee members are visiting this site, I hope they are encouraged by my comments and those of other readers to holdfast to their ethics and do what is best for NMSU and not what is easiest politically. There is no reason NMSU should be considering low quality/ethically challeneged individuals to lead our university – our students and this community deserve better!

]]> By: Dr. J http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2009/10/nmsu-prez-finalist-list-should-raise-eyebrows/comment-page-1/#comment-8991 Dr. J Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:52:02 +0000 http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/?p=8759#comment-8991 First of all, the Journal (and it's editorial board) is an Albuquerque paper biased toward UNM. UNM would dearly love to have no one to compete with for funding in the state, and where Smedley looks like a star. When you look at these five outstanding candidates, most all of which put Smedley to shame on academic and administrative backgrounds and experience, the competition is just too much for the Journal to take, so they try to trash the candidates to taint any selection for obvious motives. I would take their "take" on this with a huge grain of salt. Why not just listen and talk to the candidates instead and look at their side too? Accepting editorials as truth is the height of intellectual laziness. First of all, the Journal (and it’s editorial board) is an Albuquerque paper biased toward UNM. UNM would dearly love to have no one to compete with for funding in the state, and where Smedley looks like a star. When you look at these five outstanding candidates, most all of which put Smedley to shame on academic and administrative backgrounds and experience, the competition is just too much for the Journal to take, so they try to trash the candidates to taint any selection for obvious motives. I would take their “take” on this with a huge grain of salt. Why not just listen and talk to the candidates instead and look at their side too? Accepting editorials as truth is the height of intellectual laziness.

]]> By: Michael Swickard, Ph.D. http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2009/10/nmsu-prez-finalist-list-should-raise-eyebrows/comment-page-1/#comment-8990 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:59:03 +0000 http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/?p=8759#comment-8990 Heath - perhaps the search committee wanted this because they had been instructed by the “big guy who controls everything in New Mexico” to select a certain candidate for President and make sure the other four candidates are inferior or have defects. NMSU already has its identity as a Land-Grant institution so the leadership needed does not include institutional identity change, rather, to support and enhance that identity. The commonality of NMSU Presidents since the 1920s is they all improved and expanded but did not fundamentally change the institution. While I personally liked Interim NMSU President Waded Cruzado‐Salas very much, her leadership and professional identity was not from Agriculture and Engineering so if her role was other than hold the reigns while the next president is selected NMSU would have suffered and so would the people of the state. Likewise, if the “already chosen” president is not from Agriculture or Engineering, NMSU will lose a significant portion of its identity. Having a non Aggie run NMSU would be like having the Aggie Band Director coach the Aggie Football team - the priorities and deep understanding to make the program thrive would not be there despite how sincerely they want to lead the endeavor. Heath – perhaps the search committee wanted this because they had been instructed by the “big guy who controls everything in New Mexico” to select a certain candidate for President and make sure the other four candidates are inferior or have defects.

NMSU already has its identity as a Land-Grant institution so the leadership needed does not include institutional identity change, rather, to support and enhance that identity. The commonality of NMSU Presidents since the 1920s is they all improved and expanded but did not fundamentally change the institution.

While I personally liked Interim NMSU President Waded Cruzado‐Salas very much, her leadership and professional identity was not from Agriculture and Engineering so if her role was other than hold the reigns while the next president is selected NMSU would have suffered and so would the people of the state. Likewise, if the “already chosen” president is not from Agriculture or Engineering, NMSU will lose a significant portion of its identity.

Having a non Aggie run NMSU would be like having the Aggie Band Director coach the Aggie Football team – the priorities and deep understanding to make the program thrive would not be there despite how sincerely they want to lead the endeavor.

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