I mentioned a leader that can holistically enable all stakeholders to collaborate to define and agree upon the problem that needs to be solved.
Enrollment sustainability and growth.
Define the identity and purpose of the Valparaiso University product and align actions and energy toward that.
I also mentioned the new president needs to take over before the school year and Padilla needs to be relieved of his duties at that time.
It is not possible for a new president to be found by the beginning of the new school year, but I do feel that the board needs to immediately move to an interim president rather than continuing with someone who is on track to leaving and failed in many key deliverables. The provost or the board president would be potential interims who should be considered.
So, the search firm has posted the VU Presidential Profile here:
https://www.academicsearch.org/open-searches-public/entry/21749/?search=21749
It seems like a reasonable profile, though not especially detailed. (I'm sure there will be more comments about the position and details, though it looks solid and unsurprising.)
Of interest to this board and the timeline discussion, it says applications are due September 1, 2025, with expected start as early as January 2, 2026 and no later than July 1, 2026.
Well, it looks like a very fair overview with enough transparency, citing the "decade-long enrollment decline." Any inquiring person will read it very closely before putting a toe in the water.
Let's hope there is some shining mid-career star out there with a passion for the Valpo mission and minimal wokeness. But I would be very happy with 5-7 years from a very committed, wise, and relational person who is already hit 60 years old who can re-set the vision and finances in a warmly personal way.
Once stabilized, VU could seek a long-term man or woman.
So the start date is as early as January 2nd, 2026 and no later than July 1, 2026? This can easily be interpreted that Pres. Padilla could be President until the middle of next year orthat Valpo will need to assign an interim President after the first of the year. Further, many search efforts fail in their first attempt (many reasons such as: no candidates viewed as acceptable after they visit, the lead candidate accepts another position during the latter stages of the process, a strong candidate is selected but contract negotiations fail).and need to be repeated (we just had that happen for our Provost position). Is Valpo going to retain an outgoing university president who has failed in the key measurable aspects of his job for a year or more? As I have stated previously, Valpo needs to get Pres. Padilla out immediately and have the Provost or a Board Member serve temporarily in that role - as either would be someone committed to Valpo for the long term.
Padilla’s contract expires Dec. 31, 2025. I’m sure the school will not want to pay him after that date. My guess is that they would have an interim president from the board if the search is still going on. Maybe this interim president will change the name and logo to something cool… Either way, I think we’re all excited for some type of change.
Put the interim in place now, even if you can't get out of paying Pres. Padilla's contract for the remainder of the year. His net value to the university is zero or negative and the remaining salary is a sunk cost (unless there is some way he can be dismissed for cause).
Sadly yes. Whether fair to him or not, the Padilla name is toxic now due to the national PR fiasco created by the painting sale and the recent debt downgrade to junk.
Valpo should pay out Padilla's salary for the rest of the year and move on. He adds nothing to solve the problem.
The selection process is ridiculasly too long and leadership is not reacting to the urgency of the matter. Shaking my head again over the incompetence...
usc4valpo - I agree with you that it took too long to create the job posting, but the hiring process in the academic world is very different than the business world. The only times that people can transition are during the summer and during the winter break (unless the candidate is not currently employed - which is very unlikely for a good candidate). The interview process (particularly for a university president) is extensive and has multiple levels (board, alumni board, faculty, current administration). One might say that is excessive bordering on incompetence, but a university would not be considered legitimate if it is bypassed.
Realist - Pres. Padilla's greatest failures are continuously missing expectations on enrollment and, to my knowledge, poor performance raising donations. These are both directly related to the debt downggade.
So glad to the fine print of the profile that are not requiring an on-campus interview.
Those are potentially a circus and you really can't elect a modern business-minded president using a collegial "shared governance" method. You just create more resistance if someone's preferred candidate is not hired.
I said in the other thread that Padilla was bragging a year or so ago about how all the members of his cabinet were hired by him. The implication was that he wanted us to know: all their successes actually belong to him. It was a pretty disenchanting alumni event to attend.
By that same token, Mr. President, all their failures belong to you, too. If he stays on thru December, so do those folks. Who knows what further bad decisions he will empower them to make? My friends on campus tell me that there is a real sense of tiptoeing on eggshells until he’s gone, for fear that he will make some retaliatory move. He may be a lame duck, but he can do some real damage before he goes. Obviously an unhealthy climate, if that is true.
Pay out his contract, let him ride off into the sunset, and find a suitable interim who actually wants to help this place succeed, not just volunteer to be the hatchet man who swallows whatever poison pill the board doesn’t want to foist on the new person. (The last interim was clearing the slate re: the mascot and was also the face of some unpopular cuts and re-orgs last time.)
