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Richard Herman, finalist for the president position at New Mexico State University, visited the campus Monday and participated in a series of public and private events aimed at introducing him to the community.
Herman is one of five finalists selected last week by the NMSU Presidential Search Advisory Committee. After all finalists have visited NMSU, the Board of Regents will select a new leader for the university.
He participated Monday in open forums for students, press, staff, faculty and the community.
Herman addresses the press
Herman, the first finalist to participate in open forums, shed light on many things during the press conference Monday, including the scandal that led to his resignation from his current position, effective in December.
Herman of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chose to resign from his position as chancellor after being under pressure concerning special attention the university paid to students applying to the school who were politically connected and admitted some of them over more qualified students.
Herman spoke to the press in the Socorro Room in Corbett Center at 1:15 p.m. Monday and said the way he handled the situation was a mistake, but Herman said the university will be able to move forward now that he has resigned.
“A lot has been learned from this,” Herman said. “When you hurry about making a decision, think about the trail.”
Herman said there are always positive things that do not get recognized by the press, but negative things are always highlighted. Herman said he said no to the situation many times, but that part did not make it into the news.
“There were places I could have walked away, maybe I should have,” Herman said. “It was regrettable, but in the end we established a firewall. We’ll see how successful it is.”
Herman has had experience working with ethnic studies and diversity and said during his years at the University of Illinois, he worked hard to make it more inclusive and supportive of minority students. Herman also said there are many important goals to work on at NMSU, including working with student organizations, addressing societal problems and increasing the graduation rates overall.
“Declaring values and deciding what is good [for the university] is important,” Herman said.
Herman said leading NMSU is going to take a lot of strategic planning.
“It’s not just about the rankings,” Herman said.
Herman said he was happy to be at NMSU and is moving past the scandal.
“It’s been a rough five months,” Herman said. “[But] I look back on my 11 years and feel enormously proud of what I’ve been able to do.”
Herman addresses staff
Herman addressed staff Monday afternoon in the Corbett Center Auditorium as part of his campus tour.
Herman said he considers NMSU to be an institution of considerable accomplishment and possibility and praised the student-centeredness of the institution.
“I think of social mobility,” Herman said, “and that is the basic goal of education.”
Herman said in his experience in working with staff, it is important for all staff members to be treated well and for all staff members’ voices to be heard by administration. Herman said some common issues with staff include benefits and pay, but he was not familiar with issues specific to NMSU.
Herman mentioned that he created opportunities for staff advancement and development. When asked how he created these opportunities, Herman responded that he supported staff involvement and attendance in conferences. Herman also said he has worked with unions to negotiate improved work environments for staff members.
After citing the diverse environment of NMSU, a staff member asked Herman how he has promoted diversity in his previous institutions. Herman said that in his career he has promoted the employment of African-Americans and women.
“We managed to create opportunities to include minorities,” Herman said.
When asked about the circumstances leading up to Herman’s resignation from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Herman said he felt wiser because of the experience and the situation may not have been portrayed accurately in the media. Herman said the presidential decision makers should look at the success of his career and not the scandal when considering him for the position.
“It was 1 percent of my job,” Herman said.
Herman said if chosen as president, he would seek to create stability in the university by initiating national or international searches to fill the open provost and dean positions at NMSU.
The forum was webcast and can be viewed at www.nmsu.edu.
Herman addresses faculty
Herman spoke to more than 50 people Monday afternoon at the Corbett Center Auditorium, during which the presidential hopeful introduced himself and answered questions from faculty members.
Herman, during the hour-long forum, answered questions that ranged from research priorities, diversity among the faculty, recruitment, role of faculty and the Faculty Senate, and his stance on humanities courses. Herman also addressed the recent scandal he was involved in at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” said Herman, in response to a question raised about the scandal. “I do feel wiser and stronger coming out of this situation.”
He asked the faculty who attended to judge him on the fullness of his career.
In another question, Herman said, if given the job, he would not view the position as a stepping-stone in his career. He said he would provide stability in leadership and aim to fill the dean and provost vacancies.
Herman said he wished to bring more chairs and professorships to NMSU.
“Frankly, fundraising is something I do extremely well,” he said.
Herman's Schedule:
NMSU Student Forum (11-11:45am) in the Corbett Center Auditorium
Press Conference (1:15-1:45pm) in the Socorro Room at Corbett Center
NMSU Staff Forum (2-2:45pm) in the Corbett Center Auditorium
NMSU Faculty Forum (3:15-4:30pm) in Corbett Center Auditorium
Public Reception (7-8:30pm) Fulton Center
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