THIS WEEK, the College of Arts and Sciences learned it will be losing one of its most valued members: Dean Ed Ayers. The College will say goodbye to a man who has contributed an enormous amount to its success and its growth in national appeal. Ayers is one of the most dynamic personalities around Grounds; University spokesperson Carol Wood described him in an interview as a "teacher, scholar, leader, and visionary." Ayers has also helped shape the University into a rising national institution. Ayers has leveraged his oratorical skills and warm personality in numerous successful fundraising campaigns -- campaigns that have given the University the capital it needs to continue to pursue its vision of excellence. In replacing him, the University needs to balance the qualities necessary for a dean with those needed to keep the College in the black financially.
The first important decision the University faces is to decide what sort of person should lead its flagship school. Should we pursue a successful fundraiser, well-connected with alumni? Should we seek someone with similar speaking skills to better relate to students? Should we look for someone who is primarily a scholar or an administrator? These are all questions the University must consider in seeking a new dean.
In no way should any of these qualifications be neglected. Fundraising cannot be sacrificed lest we lose important programs. This is especially true given the University's long-term plans. The $3 billion dollar Capital Campaign kicked off this fall, and with the expensive South Lawn project looming, financial acumen -- as well as fundraising abilities -- must remain the center of any search for Ayers' successor.
At the same time, as the Dean of the College, Ayers' replacement should be able to help students in their pursuit of academic inquiries.In doing so, both a strong academic background and administrative skills are essential. A dynamic personality would help with fundraising and certainly would not hurt in an administrative sense, nor would it negatively impact relations with students.
While installing a brilliant academic as both a dean and a professor would be nice, the ability to raise money and relate to others are more important. Academically, the University is well-stocked with brilliant minds and leaders in a wide variety of fields, so the addition or promotion of one more would be a relatively minor achievement. Without a continued financial influx, however, it would be difficult for the College to maintain its high academic standing and support its outstanding faculty. Everything depends on fundraising, something Ayers has done successfully over the years.
For example, in the five years Ayers has worked with the College Foundation, he and the trustees have raised over $81 million for different programs and areas of weakness within the College.They have also made it a goal to raise $61 million for the South Lawn Project and have begun doing so.
University Spokesperson Carol Wood said that Ayers and the University believe that donors give to "the University, the College and the cause" and are therefore not overly concerned about a dramatic drop-off in capital.According to Wood, however, when asked what the University ought to look for in a replacement, President Casteen said that, among other things, the University needs someone with "the capacity to raise a great deal of money in a short time."Clearly finances remain a matter in the forefront of the minds of those seeking a new dean, and rightfully so.
We have been blessed with the many contributions Ayers has given us in his 26 years here. From academic innovation to oratorical magic, he has had a deep impact on those who have passed through here. In seeking a replacement for Ayers, the University must find someone who is capable of impressing potential donors and prospective students. We need someone with excellent public speaking and interpersonal skills, who is also capable enough to administer the University's largest school. It would not hurt to have someone who also had a gift for teaching, but that might be hoping for too much. While the University should not try to find an Ayers clone, it should look for someone with as many of his unique qualities as possible.
Robby Colby's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at rcolby@cavalierdaily.com
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