It’s no secret that college and university presidential searches are, increasingly, cloaked in secrecy until after a final decision is made. Such is the case at Appalachian State University, where the search committee is opting to keep its search for a new chancellor confidential.

But this week, student news outlet THE APPALACHIAN ONLINE challenged that decision with a front-page editorial asking the university to reconsider. (You can also read the editorial here.)

http://www.splc.org/wordpress/?p=6085

http://www.theappalachianonline.com/201 ... hancellor/

I'm fine with it being closed. Regardless of whether its open or closed we have to trust the committee to make the right decision. Open searches just slap extra pressure from outside voices that is harmful and can get in the way of a clean search/hire. Having an open search for a top position like this is almost like the owner of a sports team taking a poll from the teams fans who they want to be their next GM, because fans make the best choices. Would I be interested in who they are considering? Sure I would because I'm human and I'm curious. I still think its probably or the better that it be closed though. It may have worked one time with peacock but that doesn't mean its the best for our current situation with the larger profile we now have.

If they wanted to be effective, the newspaper should have done this when the search was announced in the fall, not THIRTEEN DAYS before the finalists are submitted to Chapel Hill.

Don't buy (and have never bought) the rationale offered for a closed search. Didn't everyone know, for example, that Cobb was a finalist for the Southern Miss job? Has the fact that he wasn't selected for the job diminish his power or cause him to be fired? No, to the contrary, he receives a contract extension.

Further, Cobb's position is not protected by academic tenure. Certainly there are administrators currently at Appalachian who have publicly and unsuccessfully sought positions at other universities. Have they been fired or demoted?

I would think that most candidates for the chancellor position would be tenured academics currently working at another school, but perhaps the (majority of the) committee intends to consider someone not from the traditional academic channels, i.e. a CEO of a corporation?

Obviously I love App State, but there were two things when I was there that I felt were among the worst in the UNC System: the food services and the school newspaper. I still follow The Appalachian on twitter -- I've been out of undergrad for three years now -- and not much as changed as I've observed. Still the same old poorly written, out-of-touch nonsense as when I was in school.

The quality of food services must have dropped since 1992-97. It wasn't restaurant quality by any stretch, but it wasn't crap, either.

Gonzo wrote:... there were two things when I was there that I felt were among the worst in the UNC System: the food services and the school newspaper.

Well, at least the food service has improved.

MountainMan wrote:

Gonzo wrote:... there were two things when I was there that I felt were among the worst in the UNC System: the food services and the school newspaper.

Well, at least the food service has improved.

Has it?

My time at ASU was divided between the old Welborn and the new cafeteria. Despite the improvement in technology and aesthetics the food quality seemed to go down at the transition. Luckily I was off campus by then and only needed an occasional chic fillet lunch.

It's really stupid to make kids pay a la carte instead of the swipe and go method of every other big school.

Bring back the BI and the Wheel of Death! You kids are spoiled.