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After months, secret is out: USC has new leader
Presidential search ends in Pastides Brad Maxwell
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Although a long process to some, and an unnecessarily secretive process to others, the USC presidential search kept the university community on its toes for seven months. A f t er For mer P r e s ide nt A nd rew Sorensen’s announcement to resign on Dec. 14, t he USC Board of Tr ustees was charged w it h f inding a new president by July 31. The announcement of Harris Pastides as the board’s choice was not made until July 11. Chairman of the presidential sea rch com m it tee M i les Loadholt said he would have l i k e d t he p r o c e s s t o h ave moved faster. “I wanted it to be a little earlier than it was,” he said about the announcement of the new president. “But anyway, t h i ng s don’t a lway s go on schedule.” Loadholt was the chairman of a committee that included four other members of the Board of Trustees, three members of USC faculty, a representative of s upp or t fou nd at ion s , a representative of the Carolina A lu m n i A ssociat ion a nd St udent Body President Andrew Gaeckle. Gaeckle was one of six non-voting members on the committee. The search committee got what seemed to be a late start by choosing, on March 18, R. William Funk & Associates, headquartered in Dallas, to lead the search by recruiting p ot ent i a l pre s ident s f rom across the country. In mid-April the committee bega n d isc ussi ng d if ferent at t r ibutes it wou ld l i ke to see in a university president. Several closed meetings were held over the next few months. By state law, the board was only required to disclose three fi nalists in the search. Although many institutions, such as The State, called for an open search process to keep the committee accountable, many trustees claimed that keeping t he sea rch closed wou ld allow for a greater candidate selection, including presidents at other universities. Sorensen said the process helped him to be selected as university president while he was the sitting president at the University of Alabama. “It makes people at other universit ies feel worse,” he said. “It creates a real dilemma, and there’s no way around it.” Pastides said he respected the board’s secretive approach, and although he wanted the process to move more quickly, it was “a very fair and honorable process.” “I think that meant my SEARCH ● 2A
VOL. 102, NO. 10 ● SINCE 1908
FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2008
THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
USC welcomes new president Dean succeeds Sorensen, hopes to further plans for research, development Brad Maxwell
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Harris Pastides couldn’t have imagined that starting his fi rst day as dean of USC’s School of Public Health would be the exact day 10 years later that he’d step foot into his office as president of the University of South Carolina. But on Aug. 1, Pastides, formerly the vice president for Research and Health Sciences, began his journey as the 28th president of an eight-campus system with a total enrollment of 40,899 students; not to mention a more than $996 million budget. “It’s been a personal ambition. Having been a faculty member, dean, then vice president, you see the progress that has been made,” Pastides said. “I thought that this was the instit ution that would connect good works with plans for the future.” He said his number one priority as president will be to implement a strategic plan, Focus Carolina, to identify the things that matter most to the university; and to do them better. “I view myself as a manager of opportunity rather than a creator of opport u nit y,” he said. “My priorit y will be to, by the end of this year, have every member of the USC community have an even clearer message of where the university is going to head.” Pastides also said that in the university’s pursuits in research and developing I n nov ista, “educ at ion w i l l never be compromised. That’s sacred.”
Fo r m e r P r e s id e nt A n d r e w Sorensen, now professor of medicine at USC Medical School, said he was pleased the Board of Trustees chose Pastides to succeed him, and emphasized his interest in research. “He will continue that strong interest in research we’ve had in the past years,” Sorensen said. He recalled when Pastides had joined his faculty as dean of the School of Public Health at the Un i ver s it y of M a s s ac hu s et t s Amherst in the mid- 1980s as a “29-year-old assistant professor of epidemiology.” Pastides said he has big shoes to f ill following Sorensen and t he board appoint ing him was an endorsement of the direction Sorensen was tak ing the university. “I called him on my fi rst day of work, let him know what he meant to me,” Pastides said. Pastides said he was similar to Sorensen in that he, too, loved to socialize with people. “ H e ’s a b o w t i e - w e a r i n g , gregarious individual,” he said. “I also like socializing with people. I plan to be ver y out ward and external in being with people.” He said he has enjoyed living Brad Maxwell / THE DAILY GAMECOCK in the president’s house on the Pastides looks forward to implementing his progressive ideas this year. historic Horseshoe and hopes to bring more st udents t here for Gaeckle said he thinks Pastides their issues and concerns.” He said events. “Every minute so far has been will be very reachable to students he doesn’t want students to think of him as an ivory tower they can’t precious,” he said. “First of all I’m and student government. “I’m excited. It’s a big transition approach. humbled by the grace and beauty “ St ude nt s a r e n’t j u s t a of the house inside.” He said that and he’s never held a position of when he looks outside the window presidency, there may be a little constituency, they are the reason and sees the horseshoe, he gets learning curve for that,” Gaeckle we are here,” he said. “I would like said. “It’s a great opportunity for students to know that we are on “some tingles up the spine.” the same team.” “You can’t take it for granted,” all of us to come together.” Pastides said he wants students he said. “You realize 24/7 that it’s s e e h i m a s s o m e o n e w h o i s C omments on this stor y? E -mail not just a job.” Student Body President Andrew “absolutely committed to hearing gamecocknews@sc.edu
You Decide Students will have chance to voice opinion, vote for president’s new environmentally friendly car Brad Maxwell
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
USC President Harris Pastides gets a new car from the university, and he wants you to help him decide what to drive. The university leases a car for each new USC president, and Pastides will be putting together a committee to determine a few choices from which the students can choose from. He said choices will be both fiscally reasonable and environmentally friendly. “It will be an opportunity for students to learn there are a number of issues related to environmental efficiency,” Pastides said. Pastides, who has a strong interest in sustainability, said his passion for the environment stems from his early days when he focused on the environmental aspects of public health. “I have a sincere respect for our planet and our environment,” he said. “It’s who I’ve always been in my life.” Pastides said he wants to make the university conscious of the environment and how people can sustain it “for our grandchildren and their grandchildren in our everyday practices.” Student Body President Andrew Gaeckle said he thinks Pastides will bring many resources to student government’s environmental and sustainabilit y initiatives. “I think it’s going to be an exciting time for people who are dedicated to the environment,” he said. Pastides said he wanted to connect with students through this learning experience. “They would know that it’s me when I drive by, it’s a good bonding experience as well,” he said.
Pastides’s Ride Stu dents have th ei r cha nce to pick one o f f ive choic es for Pasti des’s new ca r a t w w w.da ily g a mecock .com Polls open at Aug. 2 1 at mi dnig ht a nd close o n Aug. 26 a t 5 p.m.
Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknews@sc.edu
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