Board stands behind process
Colorado State University System
Statement
May 21, 2009
The Colorado State University System Board of Governors stands behind its process and firmly believes it complied with the Colorado Open Meetings law with regard to its May 5, 2009 discussions and interview of Joe Blake. Mr. Blake recused himself from the board as he was being considered as a candidate/applicant for the chancellor position as recommended by the 15-member search committee.
There have been opinions expressed about the search process, but the facts are that the board took steps to ensure the process leading up to and through the five-month search was open and that as many voices from constituent groups had the opportunity to be heard. The board asked two respected Coloradans, Dick Robinson and Diane Evans, to facilitate a series of open CSU stakeholder forums around the state and on campuses to solicit input on desired attributes for a new chancellor. The input was recorded in a report that was used to create the position description and it was given to the search committee to help guide them in identifying qualified candidates.
The board decided to not hire an outside search firm, which saved the university up to $100,000. Instead it appointed a 15-member search committee comprised of highly regarded and respected business and civic leaders who could go out on their own and recruit qualified candidates. Every search committee meeting was publicly noticed so that the public could attend and share comments with the committee or hear the committee’s discussions during public sessions.
The search committee reviewed nearly two dozen applications, interviewed three candidates and unanimously decided to forward two candidates to the board for its consideration.
During the board’s interview process, student and faculty representatives were involved in the entire executive session where the search committee presented its report on the recommended candidates; there was a discussion of candidates, the candidates were interviewed; and there were post-interview deliberations. Most importantly, student and faculty board representatives asked questions of the candidates and expressed their opinions during the interview and discussion stages.
In the spirit of openness, a recording of the full boards discussion, interview and deliberation relating to Mr. Joe Blake as a candidate was voluntarily released by the board, May 20, 2009, so that the public would have the opportunity to hear the basis of the full board’s (includes student and faculty representatives) decision to select Mr. Blake as the finalist.
Today there was an initial hearing about whether the board complied with Colorado Open Meetings law in its chancellor candidate interview process with Mr. Joe Blake. The judge decided he will review in private the entire recording to determine if further disclosure is required.
The opinions about the board’s process have nothing to do with decision to name Mr. Joe Blake a finalist for chancellor, in fact, several entities have publicly supported the board’s selection of Mr. Joe Blake.