Aaron Sanderford
LINCOLN — The search for the next University of Nebraska president has stuck close to home, meaning NU is following at least part of a wish list set by Gov. Jim Pillen, a former regent.
Every candidate currently being seriously considered by the NU Board of Regents could meet three criteria Pillen acknowledged conveying to regents.
He confirmed Thursday that he wanted the next NU president to: 1.) Have Nebraska ties. 2.) Be willing to stay in the post 10 years. 3.) Respect the values of conservative Nebraskans, which some familiar with the search said was a push for someone who won’t advocate for the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that Pillen campaigned against in 2022.
NU regents and members of the presidential search committee are bound not to discuss the search process publicly. This article is based on interviews with a number of people with knowledge of the discussions, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.
For months, the board has been deadlocked 4-4 between University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Dr. Jeffrey Gold and Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce. Neither Gold nor Slone immediately returned messages seeking comment.
Gold has been a builder known to big-dollar donors in Omaha from his work at UNMC and his stint helping lead the University of Nebraska at Omaha during its search for a chancellor.
Slone ran an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2014. He is known for his work with state lawmakers and local economic development officials on business growth and on tax and regulatory policy.
Flood, Sasse possible?
Discussions also have touched on other potential candidates.
At least one NU representative contacted U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., to gauge his interest, Flood confirmed through a staffer Friday. Flood is running for re-election in the 1st Congressional District.
He said he is “committed to the people of this district” and respects “the faith they have placed in me.”
Flood owns News Channel Nebraska, a network of news websites and broadcast stations across Nebraska. He was speaker of the Nebraska Legislature for six years and was elected to Congress in 2022.
“I appreciate the many people who have reached out about NU President, and I share their passion for our University system,” Flood said. “I support the Board of Regents and their process and look forward to partnering with the new President.”
There was chatter this week that NU would do well to contact former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., president of the University of Florida. He was president of Midland University in Fremont before being elected to the Senate.
Property records show his family still has a home in the Fremont Lakes area. The Examiner has learned that he also discussed the NU presidency with university leaders in 2018-19.
A source close to Sasse during his time in Nebraska confirmed this week that Sasse “has not applied nor been contacted by the Board of Regents or the search committee.”
Possible extra internal candidate
Part of the frustration Pillen aired Thursday, in a statement urging the board to hire a president soon, reflects unease about a leadership vacuum at NU, he said.
Former NU President Ted Carter left for Ohio State University at the end of December. Huskers Athletics Director Trev Alberts announced Wednesday night he is taking the AD job at Texas A&M University.
Their departures follow recent turnover among the chancellorships at NU campuses in Kearney, Lincoln and Omaha. Some of those interviewed have criticized Pillen, previous governors and some state lawmakers for contributing to an increasingly charged political environment surrounding the university.
The board’s long stalemate is unusual. Members typically disagree for a time and then coalesce around a favored candidate and approve a candidate unanimously, board observers explained.
People familiar with the presidential search told the Examiner there may be more to Pillen’s push than meets the eye, partly because of the stalemate. The governor has told some he wants the board to declare a failed search, several said privately. His office had no immediate response to a reporter’s question Friday about the process.
If a failed search was declared, the board could consider candidates who earlier agreed to stay out of the search, including NU interim President Chris Kabourek, who has some campus support.
Some who know the interim president said he might be interested if the board wanted him to apply. Officially, he has stood by his statement that he is not a candidate.
NU has asked its recent interim presidents to agree not to apply for a permanent post, in order to encourage a wider applicant pool and to avoid discouraging potential outside applicants from perceiving a favored candidate.
Pillen could have pushed board to act now
University observers said the governor’s public criticism of the board this week could be enough to push a single member to change his or her vote and help resolve the process.
Others familiar with the process said Regent Tim Clare, the search committee chairman, might be interested in the job. On Friday, he rejected that speculation, saying, “I am not going to be a candidate.”
“The search is going well,” he said.
While Alberts did not say so publicly, he hinted in an interview with the Omaha World-Herald that the seven to eight months the board has taken to hire a new president was a factor in Alberts’ departure.
That timeline largely mirrors how long it took to hire Carter in 2019, when then-regent Pillen led the search. Pillen said the current search should’ve taken no more than 90 days.
His critics said some of what has made the search take longer has been the outside interference in the university’s business.