Sam Olens One Step Closer to Running Kennesaw State University
University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby has endorsed Attorney General Sam Olens to become the new president of Kennesaw State University. According to the Marietta Daily Journal, Huckaby had considered conducting a nationwide search for a new president, but after talking to Olens, he decided to consider Olens first. Olens is scheduled to meet with the BOR Executive and Compensation Committee on Tuesday.
The information comes in a letter sent by Huckaby to the Kennesaw University community. which begins,
Dear Kennesaw State University Community:
In higher education and our own University System, we place extreme importance on openness and the responsibility we all share in serving each other. So, it is important you know I have asked the Board of Regents to consider Attorney General Sam Olens for the role of president of Kennesaw State University.
There has been speculation about this for some time, and up until now, I have remained silent on the matter. Initially, I was planning to conduct a national search to find the next president of Kennesaw State. Yet, through sincere and earnest conversations with Mr. Olens, I now believe he should be considered at this time.
The Board of Regents’ Executive and Compensation Committee is planning to interview Mr. Olens tomorrow at our University System office. While the interview itself will be conducted in executive session, I want you to know that Mr. Olens is being seriously considered for the role of president.
This is the first official confirmation that Olens is being considered for the position previously held by Daniel Papp. Should Olens be selected, Governor Deal is expected to name his replacement.
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Jon Richards
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Sam Olens may be a great choice, however, the process looks like “the fix” is in. Kennesaw State is reeling from what appears to be less than stellar governance by the previous administration. Since this is true, why not make the process for selecting the next leader, comprehensive open and above board? Why make this look like cronyism, unless it is?
There are already massive protests planned by students over his coronation.
Sam does not have a good voting record with college age voters, who see his fights against gay marriage and the health coverage issues young people face as, ah, not in their best interests.
This is not going to be a pretty transitions.
A hundred millennial liberal know-it-alls showed up to protest a republican. Wow, that’s a news alert. Just because you don’t like the guy doesn’t mean he won’t be good for Kennesaw State.
He has no known relevant experience.
Why do you believe that? Because he doesn’t come from academia or becasue he is a republican?
There are quite a few university heads that aren’t liberal professors first then liberal presidents. Bill McRaven at Texas, Mitch Daniels at Purdue, John Thrasher at Florida State and Margret Spelling at UNC all had “no known relevant experience.” Even Janet Napolitano at the University of California had no known relevant experience, but she is a liberal so she is different right?
The folks you mention have had some pretty high-level experience managing diverse priorities and corralling competing interests, compared with Olens:
Bill McRaven, COMSOCEUR (ret.).
Mitch Daniels, former governor.
John Thrasher, former Speaker of the House of the State of Florida.
Margaret Spelling, former Secretary of Education.
Janet Napolitano, former governor, former Secretary of Homeland Security.
Sam has been the chairman of one of the largest and fastest growing counties in the south east as well as leading the Georgia Attorney General’s office. That ain’t nothing. He has no more or less experience in academia than the folks I listed above.
This all boils down to a bunch of liberal professors and know-it-all college kids getting their panties in a wad becasue Sam is a republican. If Kasim Reed or Jason Carter were named the next president of KSU no one would have said a word.
If those people don’t have academic/teaching experience I don’t think they are qualified either. It just seems common sense to hire someone at that level with experience in the field they are in charge of.
The assumption is that most people from politics have some organizing/executive type skills (not always, but you gotta start somewhere), but why would you not at least look at those who have teaching experience or at least academic faculty experience?
I wasn’t even sure about Cathy Cox at Young-Harris, but it turns out she does have teaching experience.
Cecil Staton? Sure, he had experience. Max Burns? No problem.
“If those people don’t have academic/teaching experience I don’t think they are qualified either.” That just shows that you argument doesn’t hold any merit. All of those people I listed have done a great job with “no relevant experience” in your book.
That argument can be completely flipped around. Why would you want just a teacher who has zero executive background running a large and growing university? Sam has the executive experience that will help KSU. Some professor from New Mexico who led the ecology department and has taught for twenty years and has zero executive experience would not be better than Sam.
I’ve spent too much time of my day on this now. All I have to say is the board of regents would be dumb not to select Sam and when he becomes the next President of KSU I look forward to telling him congratulations.
By the way, can we please work towards a little more diversity on the Board of regents? Please?
http://www.usg.edu/regents/