On Thursday, Florida Atlantic University (FAU)’s Presidential Search Committee held its first listening session, where faculty, staff and community members expressed their opinions on the future leadership of the university – but students were nowhere to be found.

The five-hour-long session, led by search committee Chair Sherry Murphy and Ann Yates from the committee’s search firm partner Buffkin/Baker, was split into five sections to hear from different voices in the FAU community. 

While the sessions for faculty and staff saw a more robust turnout, with around 20-25 people, the student forum was nearly empty. The Career Center sent two student employees, and only one student chose to attend of their own volition.

This listening session kicked off the official start of the new presidential search. According to Murphy, community input from the session will influence the president’s job description and marketing material.

Throughout the discussions, faculty and staff repeatedly highlighted the need for a leader with academic experience, a clear vision, the ability to promote diversity and the strength to resist political involvement. 

“How can I trust anybody who would be accepted by the governor and the Board of Governors if I know they will implement a conservative agenda?” asked Robert Lubarsky, an FAU math instructor. “I want a president who will be able to resist the political pressure and defend the institution against that influence.”

The general sentiment was that the university needs an active leader who is involved with the departments around campus and connected to students. 

“We can’t have a president that we only see at graduation ceremonies,” said Marianne Porter, an FAU science professor.

To William Trapani, director of the FAU College of Arts and Letters’ School of Interdisciplinary Studies, the new president should be a voice for the entire university community.

“I think what we most need is that, is someone who’s comfortable being an energetic public advocate,” he said. “You talk about the politics of our state, but just in a general way, I think… university presidents, especially in Florida, have become too silent.”

Others repeatedly mentioned the difficulty of retaining faculty and staff members. 

Porter noted that it’s great “living by the beach” regarding FAU’s location, “But I can only sell sunshines for so long,” interjected Cheryl Burke Jarvis, a professor at the FAU College of Business.

Low salaries are just one part of the retention problem, Jarvis emphasized. Faculty members echoed concerns about the increasing number of departures, attributing it to the lack of a strategic plan, inadequate resources and a perceived lack of appreciation for their work.

Kathleen Gardner, the executive director of FAU Housing and Residential Education, warned that without adaptation, the university risks losing some of its most talented staff. In order for the university to succeed and remain a competitive university, she points out, changes need to occur in the hiring process for faculty and staff.

“We can’t keep doing what we’ve always done,” said Gardner. 

Faculty and staff also identified the issue of prolonged decision-making and hiring processes, which they argued contributed to the university’s instability.

Marlynn Lopez, the director of the Weppner Center for LEAD and Service–Learning, highlighted the disparity between the university’s location and its compensation.

“If you do an analysis of all the State University System [SUS], we’re in the highest– one of the highest zip codes in the state of Florida, yet we’re one of the lowest-paying SUS in the state of Florida,” said Lopez. “So that doesn’t really make sense.”

She also said that this could be one of the reasons the university is struggling to recruit staff.

Other staff members shared the same concern with salary, stressing that the cost of living in South Florida has risen to a point where current salaries are no longer enough. 

“It’s hard to maintain a living with our salaries,” said Cristina Lopez Vergara, director of internships at the Career Center.

According to what different staff and faculty members discussed during the second and third sessions, the problem of non-competitive salaries has significantly affected the university’s ability to attract and retain qualified staff and faculty.

Catherine Kellman-Pitan, the director of Housing and Residential Education, noted, “One of the obstacles is to retain staff; we have lost a good amount of good candidates because of the time it takes for the hiring process. There’s also compensation problems; we need better payments.” 

Faculty and staff also expressed the need for a leader who can manage the infrastructure of the university’s vision of growth, build and maintain strong relationships with all university stakeholders and be actively engaged in the university’s processes.

Some faculty stressed that the president needs to know how to navigate the political landscape, nodding to FAU’s failed presidential search, which endured some unprecedented political interference from the state. Attendees also emphasized diversity, saying the university president needs to understand students’ challenges and equally cater to all of their identities.

With such scarce attendance at the 11 a.m. student session, Murphy and Yates opened the floor up for the few students in the room. Some had no idea about the search for a university president or the listening sessions.

Beatriz Morena, a graduate student, works as a career consultant at the Career Center. She said colleagues encouraged her to attend.

“We didn’t know, we were just told to come here. No offense,” Morena said.

The only student who attended the student session voluntarily was Joseph Kleinhenz, a junior who transferred from Palm Beach State College at the start of the semester. He said he was interested to learn about the university’s governance.

“I think it’s extremely important for us students to know what the president’s role in a university system is; they’re going to have a much greater, larger, and more fulfilled experience if you have an idea what’s happening on the broader level as opposed to just what major you’re in,” said Kleinhenz.

Yates said her team has already received “about five” direct nominations. The UP will continue to report on information about nominees and candidates as it becomes available.

The search committee is holding its next listening session virtually on Thursday, Sept. 5. Students will have a chance to speak at 11 a.m.

JD Delcastillo, Managing Editor of the University Press, contributed to this report.

Sofia De La Espriella is the Editor-in-Chief of the University Press. Email [email protected] or message her on Instagram @sofidelaespriella for information regarding this or other stories.

Elisabeth Gaffney is the Editor-at-Large for the University Press. For more information on this article or others, you can reach Elisabeth at [email protected] or DM her on Instagram @elisabethgaff.