A search committee of high-ranking professors and staff at the University of Tennessee Knoxville met for the first time yesterday to discuss what they’re looking for in a new leader, the next step in replacing outgoing Chancellor Jimmy Cheek.
The head of UT’s flagship campus isn’t just responsible for running a school with more than 27,000 students and a nearly $600 million operating budget.
He or she is also expected to be a visionary who will help boost the school’s national rankings, a fundraiser who will work with its growing donor base, and a diplomat when controversies erupt.
And they do erupt: This past year, the university faced a sexual assault lawsuit and a public fight with state lawmakers over diversity programming, resulting in
the loss of some state funding. UTK’s current chancellor, Jimmy Cheek, was called in to testify in front of lawmakers during the legislative session.
Keith Carver is the executive assistant to the UT system’s president, who oversees the Knoxville campus. Carver doesn’t think these issues will turn candidates away, because many
public universities are facing similar problems.
“They’re just big, complex enterprises, and at any given time, there are going to be issues that pop up that need to be reconciled and dealt with,” Carver says. “I think candidates who are going to be really interested in this position are very much accustomed to seeing these type of situations at wherever they are.”
The newly formed search committee is
now accepting applications, although it’s still working on the job description and salary. The committee hopes to pick a new chancellor by November.
Cheek announced his resignation last month but said he would stay on until the school finds a replacement.
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