University World News - US: The business of higher education

Colorado State University's recent hiring of its first system chancellor offers an illuminating example of this sensibility in practice. On 6 May, the university's board of governors announced the hiring of Joe Blake as its system chancellor although it is fair to say Blake was a somewhat curious choice.

Although he claims extensive contacts in the Denver business community (his most recent job was President of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce), his resumé is conspicuously devoid of academic credentials.

Indeed, in assembling its search committee, the governors intentionally excluded faculty and student representatives. In response to protests concerning the committee's limited composition , Michelle McKinney, a public relations representative for the board, stated baldly: "Search committee members were chosen for their knowledge and understanding of complex, billion dollar businesses."

In other words, from the perspective of the governors, Colorado State University is a business. Therefore, when it comes to choosing the university's leaders, the governors considers input from successful businesspeople to be more pertinent than the opinions of academics.

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