Recently Gov. Phil Bredesen proposed a process that will make the UT presidential search open. The Board of Trustees agreed in a called meeting to approve of his process. We believe that this is the necessary step to find a new president.

The search process will contain three tiers. The first tier will consist of a Search Advisory Council. The SAC will approve the applicants and submit a list of four to six candidates.

The second tier is the Search Committee itself. The committee will review the SAC’s choices and send at least three candidates to the trustees. The full Board of Trustees will elect a new UT president from the candidates forwarded by this committee.

We approve and support the decision that the Board of Trustees has made. An open search is conducive to getting the most qualified person for the job. The search processes in the past have not led to candidates who have fulfilled the role necessary as UT president nor have they been open to those outside the board.

We know questions have been raised concerning the candidates names becoming public knowledge. Top candidates may be afraid of announcing their eligibility for fear of losing their current jobs. That is a risk they should be willing to take. If they want the job, then their universities should respect their decisions.

After three presidents in the course of four years, we know the closed process isn’t working.

This open search process is the fairest way to allow the people (students, faculty, staff, and trustees) who will be working with the new president a chance to put in their collective opinion.

We are the people who will be represented and they must represent us.

This new process will open all applicants to the scrutiny needed to choose a UT president that has nothing to hide.