USU faculty adamant on successor to Hall

Utah State University faculty members are being vocal about their choice, USU provost Stan Albrecht, to replace outgoing President Kermit Hall.

If they get their way, it could mean no national search to replace Hall.

"I am flattered that a number of people have expressed interest in my being a candidate for the presidency," Albrecht said Friday.

The State Board of Regents announced Friday that chairman Nolan Karras has "appointed a committee to develop a plan" for replacing Hall, who last week accepted a position as president of New York's state university at Albany.

Hall beat out Albrecht four years ago to become president of USU. Back then, Hall named Albrecht as his provost.

Since that time, Albrecht has become one of the most "respected figures" on campus, Hall said Friday while in New York.

Hall said no president/provost relationship in the country has had as much success as he and Albrecht have achieved.

Bypassing a national search by naming Albrecht as his successor, Hall said, is not unprecedented or a "novelty." A similar situation, he pointed out, occurred last year at Michigan State University.

Hall and others believe Albrecht is the "logical" choice to carry forward "big" initiatives, including working more closely with the University of Utah on research projects, fund raising for USU and new building projects currently in the works.

"If we did a national search, there could be a new president with a whole new set of priorities," said USU Faculty Senate President Janis Boettinger.

Boettinger said there is an "overwhelming" amount of support for Albrecht.

"I think the faculty here like what is happening at Utah State," she said. Faculty have described Albrecht as someone they trust, who brings out the best in faculty and as someone who has developed "strong" relationships with key people in Utah, which Boettinger said is important as the 2005 Legislature is set to start Jan. 17.

The fact that Albrecht was born and raised in Utah also doesn't hurt his standing among some faculty at USU, according to Boettinger.

Boettinger said there are those among the faculty — although she has only heard from one — who would still favor a national search.