The time line used by George Washington University during its recent presidential search should not be compared to the one American University is using in its own search, according to Presidential Chief of Staff David Taylor.
"I think each institution has different needs and different goals," he said. "Every institution is going to have a different pace."
Taylor also said members of the AU community should not be concerned about the length of time the university is taking to choose its next president.
"The search is underway and that there is a time line that brings the committee through the spring," he said. "They have an established process for this, and a consultant has been hired. One shouldn't read much into taking too long; this is just the pace that we've got for our search."
According to the time line posted on the presidential search Web site, the board of trustees expects to make a final decision on a candidate in May and make a formal announcement of its choice by June.
Mike Lucibella, a junior in the School of Communication, said he wasn't surprised by the length of time AU has spent on its presidential search.
"It's to be expected," he said. "Anything this university does will take a while because of the bureaucracy involved. But even though we haven't had a permanent president for a while now, we've done well. I'd rather the committee take its time and not rush into a decision. If they rushed into a decision, we might end up with someone who's like Mr. Ladner."
AU's board of trustees fired President Benjamin Ladner Oct. 10, 2005, following an investigation into his alleged misuse of university funds. Ladner later agreed to resign in exchange for a $3.75 million severance package. On July 10, 2006, the board of trustees announced it was forming a Presidential Search Committee. On Sept. 25, 2006, the Committee formally met for the first time. The university's search continues, the Eagle previously reported.
GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg announced on April 4, 2006, he would be retiring this July. Seven weeks later, GW's board of trustees announced it had formed a presidential search committee and by September the Committee had formally begun the search. On Dec. 1, the GW's board of trustees unanimously confirmed Johns Hopkins University Provost Steven Knapp as GW's 16th president, and his selection was formally announced several days later, according to the GW Hatchet.
GW Media Relations Director Tracy Schario said that while her institution did have a well-planned presidential search process in place, the key factor behind the quick search process was the selection of Knapp at an early stage.
"We had a very well planned out and executed search process, and the Search Committee was able to conduct its work in a confidential manner," she said. "They happened to find the right person fairly early on, so we were able to complete the entire process over the course of one semester."
GW's Presidential Search Committee was required to submit "some candidate names" to the university's board of trustees by January, according to the Hatchet.
Taylor said AU delayed beginning its own presidential search because it needed to address governance issues highlighted during and after the Ladner investigation.
"The board determined during the fall of 2005 that the most important thing they need to do was to work on the repair of the governance reforms, to take care of the oversight mechanisms by which they govern themselves," he said. "They decided it would be most prudent to focus on that first, to finish that process and that they would then shift gears and get on with the presidential search"
