USU chief in own 'Survivor'

Utah State University President Kermit Hall is in the middle of what he calls the most public presidential search in the history of higher education.

It's a little like being on the TV show "Survivor," only at this point even Hall said he's not sure whether he'll leave the island on his own or if he'll be escorted off as the winner.

Hall is in the running for the top post at the University of Tennessee. The pack of candidates was narrowed from 12 last week to nine. Hall returned from Knoxville on Wednesday.

"The best I know is I'm not going anywhere," Hall told the Deseret Morning News.

This is where Hall might find himself on the TV program "Temptation Island." UT could potentially double Hall's $215,000 annual salary at USU.

"That's not what's driving me here," Hall said.

With 3 1/2 years under his belt at USU, a love for Utah and more goals to achieve here, Hall isn't exactly ready to leave. And Utah isn't ready to let him go.

"He is an asset to the state and we would love to keep him," said Commissioner of Higher Education Rich Kendell.

But what "achievement-oriented" people like Hall are looking for, Kendell added, might not be found here. And that's a bigger challenge.

Hall comes from a more "diverse, cosmopolitan" environment, Kendell said, and moving back to something like that may be a draw. Hall is also a history and law scholar and UT offers more of an outlet for those interests than USU.

"The guy continues to publish books and give papers all over the world," Kendell said.

The support from Kendell and State Board of Regents member George Mantes hasn't gone unnoticed by Hall, who said Mantes wants "the very best thing for me." And that may mean staying at USU, where Hall has a proven track record.

Since Hall came on board, the school has hired nearly 100 new faculty members, reducing the student/faculty ratio in a time of "severe economic decline."

USU's student retention rate has gone from 61 percent to 75 percent. Fund-raising numbers are up after two years of decline and more than $200 million in public and privately funded buildings have gone up at USU during Hall's stay.