Cougar news services
In the search for a new provost and athletics director, University of Houston System Chancellor/ UH President Arthur K. Smith recently created two search committees to find "outstanding individual(s)."
Before Smith could even move into the Wortham House, Bill Carr threw in the towel as the University of Houston athletics director and, only a few weeks later, Jack Ivancevich resigned from the office of provost and vice president of academic affairs.
Both of the resignations, Carr's on Feb. 24 and Ivancevich's on March 10, were unexpected.
So, while a construction crew was remodeling an outdated bathroom on the top floor of the Wortham House in expectation of Smith, he was modeling a plan to create searches to fill the vacant positions.
The committee searching for a new director of athletics will submit its final report and recommendations directly to Smith no later than June 16. But the committee will have little more than a month and a half to come to a decision, since its members will meet for the first time today.
There are 13 members on the committee, which is chaired by Vice Chancellor Sybil Todd, including two student representatives: Students' Association Vice President Jon Erickson and sophomore business major and student athlete Jason deGroot.
"It's going to be a meeting to discuss procedures and how we're going after things," Erickson said. "It will also give us a chance to meet everyone on the committee."
Erickson said when he found out what kind of students Smith was looking for, he jumped at the chance to serve on the committee. "One was to be a regular student, and one was going to be a student athlete. I was immediately interested, because athletics at UH have always been near and dear to my heart."
Erickson said he will be looking for an athletics director who "understands a student's first obligation is to academics. We also need someone who can bring our sports programs to the next level. "Everyone wants to see UH ranked in the top 25 in every sport it plays. We need an infusion of new ideas in order to invigorate the sports program - so we can draw attention to the program, not just on campus, but from the community and the country."
Until the committee finds its man or woman, Bill McGillis, who worked for the athletics department for 13 years, will serve as interim athletics director. He added that he hasn't discussed the possibility of being a candidate for athletics director with Smith, but his fate will not be decided until midsummer.
Smith asked the search committee for the new vice chancellor/provost "to complete its work with all deliberate speed, and to submit its final report and recommendations ... preferably no later than Oct. 15, 1997."
Fifteen members will be shepherded by Alex Ignatiev, director of the Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center, who will chair the committee. Two students, SA President Natalie Merritt and Hector Luna, a graduate student, will also sit on the committee.
Merritt said, "I want to see a person whose primary focus is on academics. I want to find someone with excellent communication skills so they can convey these types of things to the deans so it leaks down from the top."
A candidate with experience as a dean would also be beneficial, she added.
For now, George Magner, who served as director of the university's self study, is acting as interim provost.
SEARCH COMMITTEE
FOR VICE CHANCELLOR/PROVOST
Ted Estess, dean of The Honors College; Maria Gonzalez, director of graduate studies; Edward Hayes, provost of UH-Clear Lake; Edward Hugetz, director of UH Institute at Fort Bend; Alex Ignatiev, director of the Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center; Jean Latting, professor of social work; Hector Luna, graduate student; Natalie Merritt, undergraduate student; Angi Patton, president of the Faculty Senate; Joseph Pratt, distinguished professor of history and business; John Wayne Rabalais, Cullen professor of chemistry and physics; Dana Rooks, dean of libraries; Charlotte Tate, vice provost for academic programs and faculty affairs; Molly Woods, provost for UH-Downtown.
SEARCH COMMITTEE
FOR ATHLETICS DIRECTOR
Otis L. Birdsong, UH alumnus; James T. Hale, senior vice president for administration and finance; Sybil Todd, deputy chancellor; Elwyn Lee, vice president for student affairs; Diane Howell, associate director in the Athletics Department; John L. Bear, dean of natural science and mathematics college; Janet S. Chafetz, chairman of the Department of Sociology; Michael A. Gorman, associate professor of physics; Jason deGroot, student athlete; Jon M. Erickson, Students' Association vice president; Glenn T. Lilie, president of the UH Athletic Foundation; Richard W. Scamell, NCAA faculty representative; Michael Todd Stansbury, associate athletic director.