UW wants interim president Huntsman to stay on

By Sharon Pian Chan
Seattle Times staff reporter

	Lee Huntsman
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Interim President Lee Huntsman has been asked to stay at the University of Washington another year as president, according to Gerald Grinstein, chairman of the university's Board of Regents. Grinstein plans to present the proposal for a vote at today's regents meeting.

The contract would keep Huntsman, who had hinted at leaving, as university president until fall 2004 and would drop the interim term from his title. It would also add the possibility that Huntsman would remain an additional year, "not necessarily" as president, Grinstein said yesterday.

The proposal will likely add fuel to rumors that Gov. Gary Locke could be a candidate for the president's job. If Locke, who is not running for re-election, were to take the job, he would not be available until January 2005. This proposal could retain Huntsman until Locke leaves office.

Of Huntsman, Grinstein said, "We would like to keep him for two years."

Huntsman declined to comment, saying only that conversations are under way. The regents have said little publicly about the UW's presidential-search saga, now going into a second year.

"We're in a holding pattern and that's never optimal," Susanna Cunningham, a professor in the School of Nursing, said of the proposal to appoint Huntsman as president for the time being. "(This) will give us some stability while we're hunting for a president."

The former provost, Huntsman was named interim president in November last year after former President Richard McCormick left to assume the presidency at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Recently, the regents acknowledged that McCormick had been encouraged to leave because of an inappropriate romantic relationship with a woman in his administration.

The regents had planned to hire a new president by last July. But in September, the board announced that the post would remain empty for another year because the search had proved more difficult than expected.

Huntsman said then he was unsure whether he would stay in the interim role or even at the university.

Today's proposal would end uncertainty over his immediate future, but it also opens up the possibility that the search for a long-term president could take more than another year to conduct.

Roger Nyhus, spokesman for the governor, said Locke is focused on being governor for the next year.

"He's not giving his next career much thought at this point," Nyhus said yesterday.

The past year has been a difficult period for the UW to weather without a permanent leader.

The university has struggled with state funding and limited capacity and recently ended guaranteed admission for transferring community colleges students.

Several scandals have rocked the athletic department, with the firing of football coach Rick Neuheisel over gambling allegations and a federal and state criminal investigation of a former team doctor over drug-dispensing practices.

Grinstein has said the lack of a full president has not hurt the school. Fund-raising efforts have not suffered and the university won't face another legislative budget session until 2005.

"We really need a good leader, especially in these financial times," Cunningham said. "We're so vital to the future of the state. We really need someone who can articulate that."

Making Huntsman president would give his position more authority in making decisions and setting policies over the next year.

Huntsman, 62, has deep roots at the University of Washington, first joining the university 35 years ago as an assistant professor in bioengineering.

He eventually became the director of the Center for Bioengineering, then Associate Dean for Scientific Affairs in the medical school. In 1997, he was appointed provost, serving as the president's deputy and chief academic and budgetary officer.

He was thought to be a strong candidate for the permanent presidency, but he did not apply for the job. As interim, Huntsman makes $302,000.

Other candidates who spoke with the search committee last year included former U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Bradley and University of Colorado President Elizabeth Hoffman. Both declined to apply.

A 16-member committee continues the search. The board has asked it to submit candidate recommendations by May 1.

Seattle Times staff reporter Luke Timmerman contributed to this report.

Sharon Pian Chan: 206-464-2958 or schan@seattletimes.com.

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