Shelbie Harris
News Editor
As Idaho State continues to battle allegations of discrimination and maltreatment directed at its Arabic population, the college that most of these students belong to continues to search for a permanent replacement dean.
Despite serving as interim dean for the College of Science and Engineering since July 1, 2013, ISU administration will not consider Richard Brey as a viable candidate for the position posted in September of last year.
“Brey applied for the position initially,” said a professor in the college who asked to remain anonymous because of repercussions many faculty at ISU face for speaking to the media. “He was then told by the administration to withdraw his application.”
Brian Sagendorf, director of Human Resources at ISU, said that he is unable to confirm who applied for a position and who didn’t and that the names included within the application pool must remain confidential. He did confirm that finalists selected for the position met with the search committee throughout March, and the committee did not select Brey as a candidate.
When asked if it’s normal for the administration to request candidates to remove their application for any position he said it can be done.
“Whether somebody is asked to withdraw or not the hiring authority, in this case the Provost, has to make a decision as to whether or not somebody is going to be hired,” Sagendorf said. “I don’t know about any of the discussions that transpired between the Provost and any candidates.”
After evaluating nearly 70 applications and conducting phone interviews with nine candidates, the search committee selected four applicants to make campus visits to Idaho State. The four candidates were Katherine McCall, the associate dean of the College of Science at the University of Nevada, Martin Klotz, dean of the division of Math & Natural Sciences at CUNY Queens, Lok Lew Yan Voon, dean of the School of Science and Math at the Citadel, and Lizette Chevalier, associate dean of the College of Engineering at Southern Illinois University.
Following two weeks of campus visits, the search committee sent a recommendation to the Provost describing strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. The Provost made an offer, but negotiations were unsuccessful.
Some believe the article published in the New York Times regarding international students swayed the candidate’s opinion, while others were quick to blame existing sanctions by the AAUP regarding ISU’s current situation with its faculty senate.
“During the initial interview process, I was made aware of the history of faculty governance at ISU,” McCall said. “During the campus interview, I heard about a variety of concerns, including the need to provide appropriate support to admitted students of diverse backgrounds. The interview process works both ways. The search committee and administration are looking for the best fit, given their inside view of university and college needs and dean candidates are also assessing fit, including whether their particular strengths and interests correspond with the pressing and immediate challenges faced by the college and university.”
Brey assumed the role of interim dean after a failed search in 2013 and the Provost decided not to conduct a search for a replacement until September of last year.
Its apparent Brey felt his qualifications and tenure in the position merited his application, however, the university did not agree. Though not selected for an additional interview, Klotz from CUNY Queens explained that ISU’s current standing also had little to no effect on his choice to apply for the position.
“I was aware of a large volume of material on the internet about ISU’s history, which obviously has not prevented me from applying for this position,” he said. “I am a positive person and live in the present to bring about a better future. I did see prospect for this before I visited and, more importantly, after I visited.”
When asked to comment on the situation, the Lyle Castle, ISU vice provost stated it is unethical to comment on an ongoing search for a dean position. Additionally, Brey, Chevalier and Lok Lew Yan Voon did not respond to multiple attempts made by The Bengal staff.
The selection process rolls along with a fifth candidate, Radhey Sharma, current chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the West Virginia University, scheduled to visit ISU May 2 to 3.
