A decision by UT regents to reopen discussion about their choice to succeed outgoing UT-Arlington President James Spaniolo is raising questions about the process used to vet the candidates.
On Wednesday, regents of the University of Texas System will hold a closed session described on the agenda as "discussion and appropriate action concerning individual personnel matters related to the candidacy of sole finalist for president." No further details were released.The meeting, posted Monday, comes amid renewed scrutiny of finalist Vistasp Karbhari's leadership connected to a 2010 shooting at his University of Alabama-Huntsville campus that killed three faculty members.In a wrongful-death lawsuit filed in 2011, family members of two of the slain faculty members accuse Karbhari of failing to follow university protocol in the case of professor Amy Bishop Anderson, who is serving a life sentence after the shootings.The lawsuit states that Bishop had a history of severe and observable mental instability and violence and describes a campus where many people had expressed their concerns about Bishop's mental state, yet she continued to remain on staff."One UAH Dean documented threat by Bishop against her and the department, and wrote about actively avoiding Bishop after the tenure decision because she was 'harassing' and 'hounding' her," one amended version of the lawsuit states."Neither defendant Karbhari nor other UAH administrators took action to intervene or follow UAH's clear life-safety regulation."Karbhari was provost and vice president for academic affairs at the Alabama university.On Feb. 14, the Board of Regents named Karbhari the lone finalist to replace Spaniolo. Some regents have since said they weren't aware that Karbhari was named in the lawsuit.Dan Formanowicz, a UTA biology professor and member of the presidential search committee, said that his committee was aware of the legal action, but that he doesn't recall it being a "big issue." He said he assumed that regents had received the same background information.Efforts to reach Karbhari and several regents were unsuccessful. Questions emailed to regents chairman Eugene Powell were not immediately answered. Several members of the presidential search committee declined to comment.The typical vetting process includes formation of a search committee and the use of a search firm to identify potential finalists, said UT System spokeswoman Jenny LeCoste-Caputo.The committee narrows the list for interviews that can take place over several weeks or months, LeCoste-Caputo said. Candidates often meet with key groups of faculty and students. The candidate pool is then narrowed for interviews by regents. Generally, regents interview from two to five candidates, she said.Candidate interviews take place in closed sessions, and regents name a finalist or finalists in open session, she said."Most often, the board names a sole finalist, though there have been times that more than one finalist is named and a second round of interviews must occur," she said.LeCoste-Caputo said she can't share specifics about what the board will discuss.She said that no action can be taken in closed session and that the board does not intend to take action Wednesday.Karbarhi was selected by UT System regents after an eight-month search. He was designated the lone finalist, and was expected to replace Spaniolo after a 21-day waiting period.Diane Smith, (817) 390-7675Twitter: @dianeasmith1Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
