By Colleen Harrington
Stony Brook administrators congratulate Provost Eric Kaler, who is in line to become the University of Minnesota's next president. (Carolina Hidalgo/The Stony Brook Press)
There will be an opening in the Stony Brook Provost’s office come this July.
Stony Brook Provost Eric Kaler has been selected as the 16th President of the University of Minnesota.
“I’m ready,” Kaler said to the board after being appointed, according to media reports.
The U of M is substantially larger than Stony Brook, serving more than 67,000 students at five campuses spread out over the state, making it the second largest university system in the Mid- west. Founded in 1851, the university employs more than 4,000 faculty members.
“It’s a big job, but I’ve been preparing for a long time to take on such a job,” Kaler said, citing a long career in higher education including his work as a professor, chair, dean and provost. “I get it,” he said before a public interview prior to being selected.
Kaler has been a top administrator at the university since 2007, before Stony Brook President Samuel Stanley was inaugurated. Stanley said in a statement he had mixed emotions about losing one of his top guys, but noted, “It would be difficult for anyone of his caliber to pass up such a remarkable opportunity.”
Kaler visited the U of M’s flagship Twin Cities school November 18 and 19 for a whirlwind of meetings with university leaders, who termed his visit a “final checkup” before formally announcing him as the next president.
On November 17, the university held a public question-and-answer forum with Kaler, where a moderator grilled him for over an hour with lengthy policy questions submitted by community members. The session was held before a large crowd of campus community members, and was aired live on local TV and webcast on the university’s website.
Kaler appeared at ease during the session, confidently tackling tough questions on budget cuts, tuition hikes and employee unionization, and he frequently spoke as though he were already confirmed as president. He said he hopes to be at Minnesota for the next ten years or more.
Kaler, who sported a tie with the U of M’s maroon and gold colors for the forum, acknowledged the importance of athletics at the school, right from his very first statement. “Let me tell you what I am not,” he said. “I cannot coach football. I’m here for the other job.”
On the flipside: “Athletics are very important because they’re a window through which a lot of people see the university and a door through which a lot of people walk through,” he said, in a nod to the football fans watching, as the school is in the Big Ten Conference.
Several Minnesotans questioned Kaler’s commitment to liberal arts, seemingly taking issue with his research-based history in chemical engineering. But Kaler brushed off these questions, proclaiming he “remains committed” to liberal arts because it plays a central role in our society.
The sole stumbling point for Kaler seemed to be when he was asked to name a piece of art, music or dance that had moved him personally. Kaler paused in thought for a moment and seemed to rack his brain for the name of any work of art before responding that he found it hard not to be moved when walking through any big museum. He eventually mentioned the Statue of David.
There were also a couple softball questions, like who is Kaler’s hero (his father), and Mac or PC (Mac, because “it’s a higher life form.”).
The U of M has confirmed Kaler, who was the sole finalist in the search for its new president.
Sweetening the deal for Kaler: Minnesota’s current president ranks as one of the highest paid public university presidents in the country, reportedly taking home a compensation package of $650,000 per year.
The Stony Brook Press
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It is a rather vulgar style of writing to conclude with the suggestion that money may be a large motivation for a man seeking a position that is at all times regarded as the climax of a career.
Good article otherwise.
Vulgar, eh? Methinks U of M students would disagree:
http://kstp.com/news/stories/s1846644.shtml
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What is truly vulgar, Contrarian, is this man’s salary–future and present. You are obviously among the exalted and oblivious in academia for whom such base discussions as money are best avoided in public–unless your own paycheck were ever in doubt. Then you would take to the streets and scream, Outrage!
Consider this: When he arrives in the Twin Cities, this man will be making $12,500 a WEEK. This at a time when students are taking on mountains of loan debt, leveraging their paltry future paychecks more than ever before–if they can even afford to get into budget-strapped college at all. If you were truly a “contrarian” and not a likely college administrator yourself, you would have given even passing regard to the word’s definition: “a person with a preference for taking a position opposed to that of the majority.” The vulgar salaries of college administrators and faculty are so rarely challenged that they are made to seem acceptable, even somehow inadequate. Give back some of that outrageous pay and you’ll be a contrarian.
Incidentally, outrage over pay isn’t considered vulgar in Minnesota. Consider this from the Minnesota paper…
New University President’s Salary a Tough Sell for Some
Incoming University Of Minnesota President Eric Kaler will make a base salary of $610,000 a year.
That’s up from the roughly $350,000 annual salary he is making in his current position as provost at Stony Brook University in New York, and roughly $150,000 more than outgoing university president Robert Bruininks.
When asked about his sizable salary, Kaler said his base pay is appropriate.
“My salary is a big number, on the scale of university salaries, surely, but it’s a big job,” Kaler said. “It’s in the range of Big 10 president’s jobs, so I think it’s an appropriate number for the job that comes with it.”
5 EYEWITNESS News spoke with 20 students, many of whom believe it’s not fair for the new president to make more than the his predecessor – especially at a time when the university is struggling and asking students and staff to tighten their belts.