Bollinger finishes first semester

During his 79 days in office, President Lee Bollinger has inherited a financial crisis at the University Medical Center, heard allegations launched against the men's basketball program and announced plans to move out of the Fleming Administration Building.

And he's just getting started.

Bollinger

Bollinger, who began his presidency in February, said returning to campus has been rejuvenating.

"It has been extremely gratifying for me to come back to the University," Bollinger said. "People couldn't have been more welcoming, and personally I couldn't be happier."

Bollinger served as the dean of the University's Law School from 1987 to 1994, before leaving the University to serve as Dartmouth College provost for two years. Last November, in a dramatic selection process, Bollinger was selected by the University Board of Regents as the new president.

Bollinger said he immediately recognized the complexity of his new job.

"There are dozens of decisions one makes in a day," Bollinger said. "They may seem small in the context of the whole University. But in time, those decisions profoundly affect the character of the institution."

In his first days on campus, Bollinger said he would listen to the needs of students and faculty. But his relations with students veered into rocky terrain after being quoted in a New York Times article about the decline of student activism on campus. Many students were disenchanted by Bollinger's remarks, which lamented the decline of student activism.

Bollinger said the newspaper misquoted him, but some students were not aware of this until they met with him to discuss their concerns.

"I'm very impressed with all of his new ideas he's bringing in," said SNRE senior Angie Farleigh, one of the students who met with Bollinger. "He's changing the whole direction of the University, and I'm impressed with his accessibility to students. When we went to talk to him last week, he actually listened."

Students have confronted Bollinger on other fronts as well.

Latinas y Latinos Unidos for Change, a student initiative calling for equal rights for Latino/a students, disrupted a reception between Bollinger and student leaders in early April. The protesters demanded a meeting with Bollinger.

"Issues of diversity obviously have to be high on the agenda," Bollinger said. "In one sense, a national debate is going on about the legitimacy of affirmative action. The major question of is how is this policy going to be lived out over time. Everybody is quick to say numbers are only a part of the problem."

Although sometimes tempestuous relations with students have demanded his attention, Bollinger has also spent time attempting to solidify his relationship with the faculty.

Provost J. Bernard Machen praised Bollinger's involvement with the faculty.

"He's done an amazing job of identifying and responding to issues important to the faculty," Machen said. "There is a strong sense among the faculty that their issues are of deep priority for the president."

Another priority for the president is the billion-dollar University Medical Center.

During his first two weeks as president, Bollinger announced the creation of a $3-million fund for the purpose of academic recruitment and retention in the hospitals.

"I announced the fund for academic recruitment and retention in the Medical Center, not only to symbolize that my focus is on the Medical Center, but to show I am taking significant actions early and when needed," Bollinger said. "Academic quality and excellence are really the things I am most interested in."

The president's challenges extend from the operating rooms in the University Hospitals to the basketball team in Crisler Arena.

Shortly after he took office, the Athletic Department admitted to committing two NCAA violations for its involvement with Detroit booster Ed Martin. Bollinger recently hired a private law firm to internally investigate press allegations about the basketball program.

The new president also took early action regarding another controversial issue - salary packages for top administrators.

In reaction to controversy over secret salary deals made between former President James Duderstadt and several executive officers, Bollinger asked the regents at their February meeting for an endorsement of a compensation plan for executive officers.

Yet for Bollinger, one of the biggest obstacles is not paying his executive officers, but filling vacancies left as Duderstadt's appointees depart.

"There are an unusual number of extremely difficult and complex situations that have arisen," Bollinger said. "The matter of building back up the administration and finding the right people to fill those positions, both have made things quite difficult."

Two weeks ago, Machen announced that he does not plan to continue as provost after his term ends in August, leaving the second-highest position at the University up for grabs.

"This week I hope to announce an advisory committee to help me in looking for a new provost," Bollinger said. "I hope we can fill that position in the next two to four months."

There are already two major search committees in progress for the positions of chief financial officer and executive vice president for medical affairs.

"For the CFO and EVPMA positions there is a very high probability they will be filled by early to mid-summer," Bollinger said.

Bollinger said he plans to wait until fall before conducting a search for a new general counsel to replace Elsa Cole, who stepped down in March. In addition to the other positions, Bollinger said he is also looking for someone to fill a "kind of chief of staff" role in the administration.

Despite heavy obstacles, and the occasional student protest, Bollinger's presidency has drawn accolades from many in the University community.

"I would give (Bollinger's presidency) an A+," said Regent Olivia Maynard (D-Flint). "Obviously there is a lot of tough issues out there. It's been a tough couple of months. He does it all with openness and a wish to dialogue."

Regent Shirley McFee (R-Battle Creek) said she is happy with how the presidency operates.

"We're making progress in a lot of the areas that need to be addressed," McFee said. "I'm very hopeful that we will be able to complete the searches expeditiously."

04-22-97