The Master Plan of Lets Talk and Wick250 is accomplished!

[Wick250]

IAA Fan, this is technically not sports, but it is vital to the university.  Please keep it here until at least Lets Talk gets a chance to read it.

Last spring, Lets Talk and I proposed this master plan: Tressel as president with Martin Abraham from the STEM College as provost.  Today, it just happened.  Tressel named Abraham the provost, bypassing the four candidates who visited campus last week.  This is the dream partnership that can move us forward.

[Double ET]

IAA Fan, this is technically not sports, but it is vital to the university.  Please keep it here until at least Lets Talk gets a chance to read it.

Last spring, Lets Talk and I proposed this master plan: Tressel as president with Martin Abraham from the STEM College as provost.  Today, it just happened.  Tressel named Abraham the provost, bypassing the four candidates who visited campus last week.  This is the dream partnership that can move us forward.

The announcement actually indicated that Dr. Abraham was named "interim Provost" (not "Provost") pending on approval by BOT.

[ValleyTalk]

IAA Fan, this is technically not sports, but it is vital to the university.  Please keep it here until at least Lets Talk gets a chance to read it.

Last spring, Lets Talk and I proposed this master plan: Tressel as president with Martin Abraham from the STEM College as provost.  Today, it just happened.  Tressel named Abraham the provost, bypassing the four candidates who visited campus last week.  This is the dream partnership that can move us forward.

The announcement actually indicated that Dr. Abraham was named "interim Provost" (not "Provost") pending on approval by BOT.

The appointment comes after a national search for a new provost resulted in campus visits earlier this month by four finalists. Tressel said while each of the finalists were strong candidates for the position, he feels at this time that Abraham is the right person with the right experiences for these challenging times.

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Sounds like it could become permanent one day.

[Wick250]

I'm figuring that the interim label is just a technicality.  You don't spend to bring four candidates to campus, reject them all, and then start the process again.  Unless Abraham does not want the job on a permanent basis.

[Double ET]

I'm figuring that the interim label is just a technicality.  You don't spend to bring four candidates to campus, reject them all, and then start the process again.  Unless Abraham does not want the job on a permanent basis.

I think they still have to perform another provost search if a permanent provost is to be named. I do not believe YSU can name Dr. Abraham as provost without initiate another search.

That was the scenario for our last provost, Dr. Khawaja. He was initially named interim provost (coming out of his retirement). A national search for provost was later initiated. At the end, YSU named Dr. Khawaja as the provost over all the finalists stating that he was just as, if not more qualified, than all the finalist.

History could be repeating itself here (except for Khawaja later became interim President until JT was selected as President).

[penguinpower]

I'm figuring that the interim label is just a technicality.  You don't spend to bring four candidates to campus, reject them all, and then start the process again.  Unless Abraham does not want the job on a permanent basis.

I think they still have to perform another provost search if a permanent provost is to be named. I do not believe YSU can name Dr. Abraham as provost without initiate another search.

That was the scenario for our last provost, Dr. Khawaja. He was initially named interim provost (coming out of his retirement). A national search for provost was later initiated. At the end, YSU named Dr. Khawaja as the provost over all the finalists stating that he was just as, if not more qualified, than all the finalist.

History could be repeating itself here (except for Khawaja later became interim President until JT was selected as President).

Great observation

[Lets_Talk]

I saw this story on The Vindicator website earlier today. I hope the interim tag is just some type of formality and eventually removed. Not sure what else to say, other than I think this is a great hire, and expect  Dr. Abraham will do an excellent job as Provost. I think this also says something about Tressel's ability to be President. He obviously was not satisfied with the candidates brought in from the national search, so he turned to one of YSU's own highly qualified academics to fill the position.

[ValleyTalk]

YSU President Jim Tressel said it’s conceivable that Abraham, who didn’t apply for the provost position, could be named to the post permanently.

“You could say I’m rooting for it to end up that way,” he said.

- See more at: http://www.vindy.com/news/2014/sep/18/abraham-named-interim-provost/#sthash.USIp29m9.dpuf

[petepossy]

So we did a national search and brought in four candidates just to send them all back? My question is this if we wanted Abraham why not make him one of the four and save some money on the search or better yet just name him and avoid the expense and  process.

[Lets_Talk]

petepossy,

Great question, and I bet it is one the Board of Trustees would refuse to answer in an HONEST manner. I know you did not blame this on Tressel, just hope others realize the University hired a search committee to fill this position before Dunn had announced his resignation. The search was then put on hold, in lieu of the search for a new President, and reopened in June, before Tressel was working as YSU President.

I'm just glad Tressel was wise enough to offer the position to Dr Abraham, and that he accepted. Hopefully the interim tag will be dropped soon.

[Double ET]

So we did a national search and brought in four candidates just to send them all back? My question is this if we wanted Abraham why not make him one of the four and save some money on the search or better yet just name him and avoid the expense and  process.
[/quote

To the best of my knowledge, the university was required to conduct the search. IMO, if Tressel wanted Dr. Abraham to be the next provost, he could not very well ask him to apply for the position in order to avoid him not being recommended by the search committee. If Dr. Abraham neither made the final list nor bring recommended, if would be almost impossible for Tressel to point him.

If Dr. Abraham applied and was recommended, the Tressel would have to appoint him as Provost and not interim Provost. I do not know if the BOT would accept him as Provost or not. It is possible that BOT wanted him to be named interim Provost to see if he would perform up to their expectations before naming him permanent Provost.

If that is the case, Tressel was very smart (or might be the only way)  in his plan in order to name Dr. Abraham the interim Provost. I am not sure about the process. I believe, after a period of time, Tressel and the BOT could select him as the Provost.

Good move in Mr. Tressel's part. Unfortunately, for those people who served on the search committee might have felt otherwise.

[guinpen]

So we did a national search and brought in four candidates just to send them all back? My question is this if we wanted Abraham why not make him one of the four and save some money on the search or better yet just name him and avoid the expense and  process.

I have no problem on how this played out. Do a search and maybe you find someone that is great. Seems to me that after YSU saw these four they realized that Abraham was better. Simple as that

[petepossy]

It seems like the BOT does what the want how they want, they did a national search for president but ignored information provided to them about Dunn and got burned, they did a search for Provost and were trumped because they again did not pick the best pool of candidates. While I am probably the biggest skeptic of Tressel being president on this board I can’t help but to think that maybe the BOT is going to have some bumps in the road going further as Tressel imposes his will (in a good way) on the university and BOT. 

[penguinpower]

It seems like the BOT does what the want how they want, they did a national search for president but ignored information provided to them about Dunn and got burned, they did a search for Provost and were trumped because they again did not pick the best pool of candidates. While I am probably the biggest skeptic of Tressel being president on this board I can’t help but to think that maybe the BOT is going to have some bumps in the road going further as Tressel imposes his will (in a good way) on the university and BOT.

I agree.   Tressel has the best provost we could hope for

[ELPENGUIN]

Please move this non-sports topic to where it belongs. Not many of us are interested.