|
 E-mail Story Print Friendly
Opinion editorials Handling of Pit Appeal Calls for a Time-Out |
Front Page 
opinion editorialsThis editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers
.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Schmidly's Decision Sets Smooth Transition
University of New Mexico President David Schmidly's announcement that he is not seeking a contract extension and is planning to step down in 2012 paves the way for the university to move forward in a thoughtful manner to find his successor. Schmidly, 67, who is still recovering from cancer treatment last year, said he wants to spend more time with his family.
His five-year contract is scheduled to expire in June 2012. Regents recently raised the question of whether to allow an extension to a sixth year, but some said they were waiting for Schmidly to decide whether he wanted to stay on as president, a job he's held since 2007. Previously he served as president of Texas Tech and Oklahoma State University.
Schmidly came to UNM with a regent-mandated goal of shoring up academics. He made some progress in pushing UNM toward becoming a destination university, and under his watch the GPA for entrance was raised slightly. He boosted the number of merit scholars and worked well with CNM and APS to improve the transition process for students into UNM.
His tenure has been marked by tensions with the faculty, a no-confidence vote and other controversies — expansion of vice president posts, troubles with the football coach, the creation of a high-paying job his son landed but later withdrew from and major changes in the UNM Foundation. Perception among some ranks was that academic support eroded while support for athletics grew, a view Schmidly disputes.
Nobody would disagree that leading the University of New Mexico is a tough job, and the fact Schmidly finished out his five-year contract is a plus in seeking a successor. Schmidly giving notice now is a good move that allows regents plenty of time to set criteria for what they want in a successor, as well as giving more thought to refining the university's mission.
You also can send comments via our comment form
|
|
