DO IT Again and Again and Again

Updated: 9/11/2007

'Do-over' is logical option for CVTC president search

The issue: The search for the next Chippewa Valley Technical College president may have netted only one finalist. Our view: A job of such importance should require a more stringent comparison of several qualified applicants. Bruce Barker, who hopes to become the next president of Chippewa Valley Technical College, laid out his vision during public appearances Monday in River Falls and Eau Claire. The only problem is that - as of this writing - it's unclear whether the CVTC board members who will make the hiring decision will have anyone else to compare Barker with before giving him the job. They certainly should. The search for CVTC President Bill Ihlenfeldt's successor took a bizarre turn over the weekend when it was learned the other finalist, Tim Wynes, told an Iowa newspaper reporter he wasn't going to pursue the CVTC opening. Wynes is chancellor of Iowa Valley Community College in Marshalltown, Iowa. Strangely, Wynes would neither confirm nor deny the newspaper report when contacted Saturday and again Monday by the Leader-Telegram. CVTC officials believed Wynes was set to interview until they saw the Iowa newspaper story, and as of Monday afternoon they assumed he still is a candidate. Wynes' behavior is troubling. The last thing we need is someone unsure if he wants to make a total commitment to the job. If there is any doubt about that, everyone is better off if Wynes stays put. If that's the case, the CVTC board should start the search process anew and do as much as possible to find other candidates with the desired qualifications to compare with those of Barker, who is now CVTC's vice president of operations. When this exercise is done, Barker may be the consensus choice for the job. But the board owes it to itself, CVTC's students and staff, and district taxpayers to interview at least several candidates to evaluate their qualifications, vision, leadership abilities, public personas, etc., and contact references to get more information before making a decision. The search process began with a 23-member committee that conducted a nationwide search and collected a pool of some 40 applicants. As only the names of the finalists who agree to be interviewed are released to the public, there's no way to know how many others in the pool may be viable candidates in light of recent developments. A third finalist dropped out before his name was made public. All of this must be frustrating for Barker, but to simply award him the job because he's the only one who didn't turn it down doesn't seem like a way to run an organization that operates nine centers, has a $79 million annual budget, employs hundreds and prepares thousands annually for a variety of careers. This is a crucial time for CVTC. A new liberal arts transfer degree program in being implemented. Collaboration with UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout to create regional nanotechnology courses is ongoing, as are efforts to recruit more businesses to CVTC's new $5 million NanoRite center. The new leader also must ensure the relatively new Health Education Center meets the growing and vital need for health care professionals. Ihlenfeldt, CVTC's leader for the past 13 years, has agreed to stay on until his successor is in place, so it's not as if the ship has no rudder. The search process obviously has hit a snag. The CVTC board should take a deep breath, advertise the position again to find other qualified people out there who really want the job, then compare them and hire the best candidate. - Don Huebscher, editor Maybe those people who lost their jobs might have something to comment about Mr. Barker the lawyer-educator, who lacks much for this job. Looking for anyone and any story.