Dartmouth provost chosen as new Michigan president

Penn Provost Chodorow hadPenn Provost Chodorow hadbeen a candidate, but said thePenn Provost Chodorow hadbeen a candidate, but said thedecision didn't disappoint him. University of Michigan's Board of Regents unanimously voted yesterday to offer the school's presidency to Dartmouth College Provost Lee Bollinger. Bollinger had served as Michigan's Law School dean from 1987 to 1994, before assuming his position at Dartmouth. Penn Provost Stanley Chodorow, one of four finalists for the position, said he was not disappointed that he didn't get the job. He added that the opportunity to remain at the University was "equally exciting." "I would have tried to do there what I'm doing here already in terms of undergraduate education," Chodorow said. The Regents discussed the candidates for three hours at a public meeting yesterday morning. Two members of the Regents board will now begin negotiating an agreement with Bollinger. When that is finalized, the Regents will meet again to officially elect Bollinger to the presidency. "The University of Michigan is a place for which I have enormous respect and affection, and I look forward to returning to Ann Arbor to work with friends and colleagues new and old," Bollinger said in a statement today. There are no plans yet as to when Bollinger will assume his new position. Michigan's eight-month presidential search process became public only after a Circuit Court judge ruled that any planned closed meetings by the Regents would violate the state's Open Meetings Act. As part of the process, each candidate visited the campus in October for public interview with the Regents and a town meeting for questions about higher education issues from the community. University of California at Berkeley Provost and Vice Chancellor Carol Christ and University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana Provost and Vice Chancellor Larry Faulkner were also considered for Michigan's top post. Chodorow said he was pleased with his own performance during the interviews, although he couldn't say what kind of impression he made on the Regents. "It's like writing a paper," he said. "You may feel good about it, but you don't really get to asses it a grade." According to Michigan Student Assembly Vice President Probir Mehta, students liked Chodorow's personality -- a sentiment echoed by several letters the Assembly received. During yesterday's meetings, the Regents praised all of the candidates and particularly noted Chodorow's commitment to undergraduate education. Regent Shirley McFee said she was impressed with Chodorow's skills in fund raising and his ability to effectively deal with student issues. University President Judith Rodin said Chodorow's insight will particularly come into play as the University develops its Agenda for Excellence. "I'm very pleased that we're going to continue to benefit from his leadership," Rodin said. Dartmouth officials said Bollinger will be missed when he leaves the college. "He's been a strong figure and has raised questions of the institution that were helpful," said Lynn Mather, Dartmouth's government department chairperson. "It's a shame that he's only been here for a short time." Mather said the decision did not surprise her because of Bollinger's strong ties to Michigan. Bollinger began his academic career at Michigan as an assistant Law professor in 1973. He served in that position until becoming the Law School dean in 1987. "Bollinger has experience in the university and out," Mehta added. "He provides a diverse and varied perspective on the university and that's what we need." Bollinger received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon in 1968 and his law degree from Columbia University in 1971.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.