President-select Lee Bollinger will become an employee of the University on Jan. 1. One month later, he will take the helm.
The arrangement couldn't be better. Although Bollinger was dean of the University Law School, he has been away at Dartmouth College, serving as its provost, for the last couple of years. The month of January will give him time to get back into the swing before plunging into a difficult and time-consuming job. Bollinger deserves commendation for working with Dartmouth to arrange a quick arrival at the University - one that will benefit the whole community.
Former University President James Duderstadt did not undergo such a transition period. However, he was provost at the time of his promotion, and had been interim president during Robert Shapiro's tenure, so he was quite familiar with both the University community and the administration. One of Duderstadt's predecessors, Robben Fleming, spent four months on campus before assuming the position. Bollinger's previous experience here makes such a period unnecessary. Fleming, however, got to shadow then-president Harlan Hatcher - Bollinger will not have the chance to shadow Duderstadt. However, interim President Homer Neal, a capable leader, should be able to show Bollinger the necessary ropes.
Bollinger will have the opportunity to sit in on Neal's meetings, meet with student and faculty campus leaders, and begin forming rapport with his core staff. As Neal can attest, the job contains a great deal of upkeep work, such as public relations, keeping in touch with the administrative staff and many daily decisions. In that type of atmosphere, long-range goals can be difficult to achieve. While Bollinger is learning the daily tasks of the University presidency, it would behoove him to formulate some of his long-term goals.
Bollinger already has articulated plans to give the deans a larger role in University decision-making. His experience as a dean puts him in a position to strengthen the relationship between the positions. Moreover, deans - including LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg - have spoken in favor of his idea. Their support will help Bollinger as he reaches out to other deans.
While Provost Bernard Machen communicates regularly with the deans, the president's involvement would bring input to a new level. Plus, Machen has said he plans to step down as provost when Bollinger can fill the position. Bollinger's direct experience with the deans will help the new president stay in touch with them after Machen and help the new provost ease into the job.
Ultimately, Bollinger must provide the top of the academic leadership tier, considering the input of the provost, deans - and the faculty. Bringing the deans closer to the administrative process also means bringing the faculty closer. Faculty members have wanted more input for a long time - Bollinger seems to have listened to them, finally.
What is left, of course, is the student body. In addition to teaching a course after his first semester, Bollinger must have a game plan for keeping in touch with student needs. January is a good time for him to discover the best ways to go about it.