Herbst leaving for Georgia

[GODANESGO]

Just got this in an all students email..

 

 

Dear Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni and Friends:

 

It is with mixed emotions that I announce my departure from the

University at Albany. This fall my family and I will move to Atlanta,

where on November 1st, I will become Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief

Academic Officer for the University System of Georgia. The Georgia

system of public higher education includes 35 colleges and universities,

and serves over 260,000 students. I will also join the faculty of

Georgia Tech, as Professor of Public Policy.

 

The University at Albany is truly a wonderful institution, and I have

thoroughly enjoyed my two years as your Provost, then Officer in Charge.

Our faculty, students, alumni, and staff have made me tremendously proud

to serve as your leader, and it has been an honor to support the

outstanding research, teaching, and community service you provide to so

many deserving citizens of this state.

 

I will be on campus until late October, so we will have many

opportunities to visit before then, including the Fall Faculty meeting

on October 11th. For now, I simply wish to begin the process of

thanking you for your contributions and dedication to this institution:

The future is bright because of the enormous talent and spirit one finds

throughout our divisions, colleges, schools and departments.

 

Chancellor Clark will soon begin his consultation with the campus, an

initial step in the process of designating new leadership. He will work

quickly, and cares deeply about the University, so I have no doubt that

these transitions will be smooth ones.

 

Again, I thank you for your support over these past two years, and for

the warmth with which my family was received here at the University and

throughout the greater Albany community. We will miss the campus and

the wonderful people here immensely.

 

Sincerely,

 

Provost Susan Herbst

Officer in Charge

[ATL_DANE]

That's not good. When I saw Duke, USC and Michigan on her resume, I knew she'd be alright with me. If we get some Vermont liberal arts college professor as next our president, I'm going to sh$t.

 

She couldn't have picked a better school than Georgia Tech. Top 50 every year for academics and athletics. This year looking at top 10 in football and top 30 in academics. Good luck to her. I'll let you know if I see her at the next home game.

[Clickclack]

Where are we at with bringing in solid, stable leadership? This is starting to drag on a bit to long. It appears we will have another temporary person in place while the search continues and then yet another change at the top when the permanent person is hired. This is all a bit disconcerting at this point.

[scrabbleship]

I am genuinely worried that the trend of interims will drag us down as an institution and I agree with ATL_Dane that with the lack of people connected to Kermit left we may be on the wrong path. Most of you will disagree, but I fear that we'll end up with Hitchcock II who will think that a million-dollar diversity yurt is a better investment for the school than a football stadium.

 

Career advancement or no, I think it would have been nice and classy for Herbst to stay until a president is found. Now who knows if we'll ever find someone who can keep us on the path Kermit did . Now is the time to have valid worry and concern for UA's future.

[UAalum72]

UAlbany top spot to soon be vacant again - Times-Union

 

Meanwhile, another story in the T-U reports the state Senate refusing to act on the governor's nominees for chairman and two other members of the SUNY Board of Trustees.

[madDOG]

UAlbany top spot to soon be vacant again - Times-Union

 

Meanwhile, another story in the T-U reports the state Senate refusing to act on the governor's nominees for chairman and two other members of the SUNY Board of Trustees.

 

"Herbst's impending departure -- her new job starts Nov. 1 -- leaves the 17,000-student state school in need of both a temporary and permanent president, said Sung Bok Kim, a history professor on the presidential search committee. Kim had hoped to see a permanent leader in place by February. He now thinks next September is more likely."

 

ouch. I guess if it takes that long to find the right person, then so be it.

[ATL_DANE]

I wasn't too encouraged by the bolded line below from the TU article:

 

"Herbst's impending departure -- her new job starts Nov. 1 -- leaves the 17,000-student state school in need of both a temporary and permanent president, said Sung Bok Kim, a history professor on the presidential search committee. Kim had hoped to see a permanent leader in place by February. He now thinks next September is more likely."

 

 

My View:

 

Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros would be a good choice for the Officer in Charge position. If he could do for UAlbany what he did for the Nano College, we'd be all set.

[alum73]

Not likely.

[scrabbleship]

Not likely.

 

Now is the time to be genuinely worried for the future of UA. Our #1 ditched us, loads of people ditched us, no real permenent leadership and too many interims and NO EFFORT WHATSOEVER by SUNY to put people in ASAP. It is an embarassment to UA, the city of Albany, and the SUNY system as a whole that this is being dragged out and that SUNY didn't try to keep Herbst on until we had a president. Forget about "Project 2010", at the rate things are going we won't have a president by 2010:(.

 

Shame on Herbst for selling out from UA at a time of uncertainty and I wish her no success in Georgia. While GT takes home titles, we'll end up with Hitchock II and we can say bye-bye to sports funding and the stadium and everything. She should be called Susan Sellout for her actions.

[Patch]

scrabbleship - relax and take a deep breath.

 

Isn't Hebrst allowed to advance her career, she came to UA with Hall and his vision, she worked hard supporting him and the college.

 

It's evident that SUNY has very little direction or leadership know and for atleast the past decade.

 

The SUNY system has made no commitment to her and she had no power to move things along at UA. So why should she hang around if the system wasn't showing any commitment to her or UA.

 

I wish her nothing but success, in her time here she did what she could to keep us going in the direction Kermit had steered us but other then that she was powerless.

[scrabbleship]

scrabbleship - relax and take a deep breath.

 

Isn't Hebrst allowed to advance her career, she came to UA with Hall and his vision, she worked hard supporting him and the college.

 

With her departure, I fear that Hall's vision is up in the heavens with Kermit and that we're doomed to not grow into an envy of the northeast but instead to stagnate into a Stereotypical Northeast Liberal Arts College on 'roids.

[Clickclack]

Not likely.

 

Now is the time to be genuinely worried for the future of UA. Our #1 ditched us, loads of people ditched us, no real permenent leadership and too many interims and NO EFFORT WHATSOEVER by SUNY to put people in ASAP. It is an embarassment to UA, the city of Albany, and the SUNY system as a whole that this is being dragged out and that SUNY didn't try to keep Herbst on until we had a president. Forget about "Project 2010", at the rate things are going we won't have a president by 2010:(.

 

Shame on Herbst for selling out from UA at a time of uncertainty and I wish her no success in Georgia. While GT takes home titles, we'll end up with Hitchock II and we can say bye-bye to sports funding and the stadium and everything. She should be called Susan Sellout for her actions.

 

scrabble, you must be a manic depressant. You are so off the wall I'm not sure if it's all shtick or if your are for real. "...what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

 

I agree with what Patch said and I wish her the best of luck. It is her God given right to do with her career as she wishes. She put her time to good use especially in difficult circumstances and kept the University grounded through the tough times while keeping the late President Halls vision alive. I'm sure she had something to do with us being able to retain the services of Coach Brown not to mention Mr. Marr etc.

 

Man you are so freaking crazy it boggles the mind. Yes we all want to see things move alone the stadium to get here etc. but to say that you wish her no luck leads me to believe you are under the impression that she personally owes you something. I'm frustrated as many are here with the upper ups sitting on their butt "apparently" not doing much but you nor I have any definitive or conclusive evidence to substantiate what we may or may not believe. I'm starting to question whether or not you are capable of rational thought, from you famously throwing Coach Brown under the bus to now calling Herbst a sellout it just seems that you need help.

[UA_MA_2000]

Setting aside all of, and offering no view concerning (or condoning), the foregoing for a moment, Scrabby's phrase, "Stereotypical Northeast Liberal Arts College on 'roids," made me crack up out loud in my office ... .

 

 

I find Scrabble's comments interesting (for lack of a better word) because I often tend to be rather quixotic in my views of UAlbany athletics (and academics) and where we're headed generally --- i.e., I'm always the optimist --- while Scrabble tends to focus on doom and gloom. Funny how perspectives can be so different, yet we both simply want what is best for UA ... .

[GODANESGO]

Ok, good..I'm glad there are some people with common sense left here.

 

Not a surprise at all that Herbst left. As happens regularly when a leader (Hall) departs, the 'upper management' tends to do so as well. Happens in colleges/universities, major companies, government administrations, etc. It's called life. And if people don't like it, they need to at least get out of NYS. The fact is she went from, only two years ago, head of Arts and Sciences at Temple, to now being 2nd in charge and the top academic officer at a relatively large state university system. That's an impressive career already. I'm sure it was obvious to her, and to most paying even some attention, that the powers that be did not envision her as the new UAlbany President, so she moved on. ADM Ryan was one of her biggest supporters and with him gone that left even fewer options for her.

 

It'll be interesting to see who is named OIC/Interim/Acting now. My money would be on the VP for Student Success (Affairs) James Anderson who is a Hall understudy from NC State. But that may be tough because I'd assume he has hopes for the permamenet spot and it'd be odd to give him the temporary spot and not the permanent spot..if it's not envisioned for him to be there. The senior internal choices I see left for the temp spot are VP for Finance Kathy Lowery and VP for Enrollment Management Wayne Locust. McElroy's a very senior member of the University Exec. Com., but I don't see them putting in an AD as OIC.

 

Let's not forget that the dynamics aren't really there right now for a swift selection process. The Gov. is only 9 months into a new term with a new party in the Exec. Branch, the SUNY Chancellor (the person who recommends a nominee to the SUNY BOT) is Interim, and even the SUNY BOT (who has to approve the Chancellor's nominee) is in flex as Bruno and the Senate Republicans hold up Spitzer's 3 new appointments (including the new Chair) to the BOT.

 

It's frustrating, obviously, but the process isn't abnormal and certainly not unexpected given the current environment.

 

And scrabble, you can't have the best of both worlds. You can't want to avoid another Hitchcock (she did move us to DI at least..) but then want the people in charge to select someone at the snap of their fingers. I'd rather be very patient and get someone good then hire someone who isn't really the right fit. And while President Hall was most certainly a unique and wonderful leader and person (I was one of the dozen or so students at the University that was lucky enough to take a class he taught), there are a number of exceptional people around the country (and world) that could do wonders and much good for a place like UAlbany. I hope we're calm enough to spend the time needed to search for that right person.

[olddog71]

Ok, good..I'm glad there are some people with common sense left here.

 

Not a surprise at all that Herbst left. As happens regularly when a leader (Hall) departs, the 'upper management' tends to do so as well. Happens in colleges/universities, major companies, government administrations, etc. It's called life. And if people don't like it, they need to at least get out of NYS. The fact is she went from, only two years ago, head of Arts and Sciences at Temple, to now being 2nd in charge and the top academic officer at a relatively large state university system. That's an impressive career already. I'm sure it was obvious to her, and to most paying even some attention, that the powers that be did not envision her as the new UAlbany President, so she moved on. ADM Ryan was one of her biggest supporters and with him gone that left even fewer options for her. . . .

 

And scrabble, you can't have the best of both worlds. You can't want to avoid another Hitchcock (she did move us to DI at least..) but then want the people in charge to select someone at the snap of their fingers. I'd rather be very patient and get someone good then hire someone who isn't really the right fit. And while President Hall was most certainly a unique and wonderful leader and person (I was one of the dozen or so students at the University that was lucky enough to take a class he taught), there are a number of exceptional people around the country (and world) that could do wonders and much good for a place like UAlbany. I hope we're calm enough to spend the time needed to search for that right person.

 

GODANESGO,

 

Thank you for a very incisive contribution to this thread. Your comments show a lot of common sense.

 

I have just a couple observations:

 

(1) We have enjoyed two uncontroversial great people in a row to lead this university: Herbst and Hall. Both of these people advanced many of the components of the university to better positions, including the Athletic Department. I mean "uncontroversial" in the sense that there is very little debate going on here about the fact that these people propelled the university forward, often to new heights and levels of competence. Why should we doubt that we will not have capable people with vision leading us into the future? The presidency of UA, I believe, is a much more prestigious position than it was in the past, say, just ten years ago. The high caliber of office should enable the university to attract even better candidates than it did even in the recent past.

 

(2) Hitchcock did boost athletics during her tenure. As GODANESGO cited, she guided us into the Division I era. I personally saw her attend many men's basketball games, and she was more visible to me than other previous presidents. Some here may fault her for not supporting athletics more than she did, but we don't know the cards that were dealt to her. She may not have had better options. The powers-that-be (those paying for programs) may have been playing a wait-and-see game to see how UA athletics would pan out. None of us really knows the answer.

 

(3) UA is a university. Even Herbst stated that if people at UA did not like its diversity, then perhaps it was time for them to look elsewhere. Several of the comments made here in the past months that have disturbed me concern the construction of the sculpture studio. You and I may not have put that project high on our priority list, but to others of the university community it was important to them. Perhaps that program caused the university to attain a much higher profile to people in the larger arts community. If that is the case, then I am glad it was built. I really don't like to see comments that downgrade other parts of the university to try to boost one's own position, and we shouldn't be playing one off against another. We are alll part of UA, as current students or staff or those with a past affiliation, and we all rise or sink together.

 

(4) After having witnessed McElroy's tenure at UA for the years he has been here, I am confident he will continue to boost the athletic department, no matter who is sitting in the President's chair.

 

Likewise, I am confident that UA will continue to progress in athletics, as well as across the board. I haven't attended classes at UA for 35 years, but UA's steady successes continue to encourage me and keep me loyal, just as I am sure others who have left have been continually inspired. I am still amazed at how far UA has come in athletics in just the last dozen years. The victory of the field hockey team this weekend is yet another example of a successful UA athletic team on the move.