Bowles will let search process run its course

After announcing his hopes to become the next UNC-system president, Erskine Bowles is taking a step back in an attempt to let the selection process run its natural course.

“I don’t want to turn this into a political campaign,” said the two-time Senate candidate and former chief of staff for President Clinton, who revealed this weekend that he’s interested in the job. “I’ve said just about everything I want to say.”

The UNC-system Board of Governors seeks a replacement for current President Molly Broad, who will step down within the next year.

BOG Chairman Brad Wilson said that Bowles’ entrance into the race was not unexpected and that it would not alter the selection. The board still plans to conduct an open, nationwide search.

“It is the validation of a lot of public speculation, but it does not change the process,” Wilson said. “We are going to find the right person for the position.”

Wilson did have some concerns regarding potential applicants. Noting the lengthy terms of past presidents, he said it’s important that a candidate be able to hold the post for a substantial amount of time.

Current president Molly Broad has led the system since 1997. The first president, Bill Friday, held the position for 30 years.

“We are looking for someone that could serve for more than a couple of years,” Wilson said.

But N.C. Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, said longevity plays a smaller role in his choice for the next leader.

“I want the best president we can find, and that president will serve for the productive period they have,” Rand said.

The state Senate’s 21 Republicans have endorsed Bowles for the post, citing his business acumen.

The BOG has appointed the search committee for the new president, and it will hold several public forums across the state in the next few weeks in order to gain input from students and faculty.

The forums will be held May 4 at UNC-Charlotte, May 5 at N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University and at UNC-Chapel Hill, and May 16 at East Carolina University.

The process for locating the next president has just begun, and the forums will be essential, BOG member Hannah Gage said.

“It is in the most preliminary stages,” she said. “We have not discussed what we will be looking for.

“We hope to find information, ideas and thoughts at the forums that will help the decision.”

In the meantime, Bowles said he’ll continue to avoid politicizing his efforts to be the next UNC-system president.

“I am glad they are going to do a national search,” Bowles said. “If it happens to be me (that is selected), then that’s great.”

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.