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In Search Of CCNY's New Pres

By Shumon Alam

City College is currently searching for a candidate to fill the highest administrative position: the college president. Since the resignation of ex-president Yolanda Moses, Dr. Stanford Roman has filled the position of interim president. Although last summer all the students received a letter from the CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein encouraging active participation in the search process, it has been not a democratic process.

The presidential search committee is charged with finding the most qualified candidate to fill the position. CUNY Trustee Randy M. Mastro heads the search committee, which includes four other trustees, presidents of both the undergraduate and graduate student governments, three faculty members from architecture, music and physics, a president of another college, and a CCNY alumnus.

This search committee has gone through about 80 proposals and applications and settled on about a dozen for interview. The interview was about an hour per candidate and the questions from the search committee were pre-selected. Each search committee member asked one question to all the candidates. Questions ranged from the candidate's accomplishment to CUNY issues. Four of the interviewees were selected as semi-finalists by a committee vote.

Each candidate was given a package with information about the college and the issues around it. One of the concerns the committee members had was avoiding selection of anyone who does not understand the school's issues.

USG president Jason Compton thought the candidates had an understanding, although not a total grasp, of the political nature of the institution. He also thinks that many candidates were from similar institutions, so had knowledge of issues surrounding a predominantly minority and immigrant school.

Compton thought that from the beginning of the process it wasn't evident that the trustees are catering to the idea of turning city as a technical and science college. In return, the rest of the committee members made sure that the interest of CCNY's schools of liberal arts and education would be preserved. Although it is hard to guess candidates' understanding of the issue, Compton feels that all four candidates are well qualified. He also thinks that one of the four candidates with a science background could do a great job.

According to the press release published on the CCNY web page, all the candidates will visit the campus between November 20-30th. Each candidate will stay on campus for a day and meet with representatives of the faculty, student body, administration and surrounding communities. Candidates will also address a one-hour open forum to meet with all the members of the community.

Who Are the Candidates?

As of press time, finalists' names and the schedule of forums had not been announced. Compton told the Messenger that some of the candidates hold positions in other institutions, and their names are being withheld until they have an opportunity to notify their current schools.

This would make it difficult for CCNY members to critically evaluate candidates. Former CCNY president Yolanda Moses withdrew her application to the University of New Mexico after questioning by UNM about her record at CCNY, which included repression of student activism, spying on students, and an autocratic decision making process. UNM students and officials were tipped off when they contacted people at CCNY.

Hanna Seifu-Teferra, USG executive vice president, has her doubts about the process. She told the Messenger that she attended one of the search committee meetings when the campus visits were discussed. According to her, the open forum will be presided over by a moderator, a move she thought unnecessary. One search committee member proposed the idea of a moderator in fear of an "inappropriate question." Seifu-Teferra fears this might be a way to not only eliminate any controversial but important issues, but also to "sugar-coat" the problems of the college for the candidates.

Seifu-Teferra was also informed that the open forum would probably be held in the evening, which will eliminate the chance for many students to meet and talk to the prospective president of their institution. However, she added that student government will try their best to schedule all the open forums during mid-day, preferably during club hours.

CUNY Central Decides in the End

No matter what happens, Chancellor Goldstein will be the one to select the new president. Compton thinks that this process is neither fair nor democratic. According to him, Goldstein doesn't have to choose any one from the four finalists selected by the committee. Goldstein also has the right to overturn any decision of the committee. Compton thinks that the Board of Trustees is only going through the process to please the public opinion.

Although Chancellor Goldstein did not participate in the selection process, the fact that he can overrule the committee ruling is undemocratic. Compton also thought that trustees serving on the board could override the desire and expectation of the community. He thinks there should have been more representatives from the student body and faculty members.

When asked what he expects from the new president, Compton answered that the most important thing for the president has to be representing the interests of the college. There were too many situations where decisions beneficial to the college had been struck down by the Board of Trustees. City College needs a president who has vision and performs according to the needs of students, faculty, staff, and community. He thinks the president needs to stand up against any decision by the board that is bad for the school. Unfortunately, he thinks the chance of someone like that becoming the college president is slim to none.

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