DeGioia, JT III Contract & University Finances

[hilltopper2000]

My sense (and I have no inside information) is that Pilarz was not seen as qualified for the job. I don't mean to be a snob but is the University of Scranton a good place to learn how to run a major research university? I think the problem with hiring a Jesuit as president is that there are so few schools at which they can receive training, unless Yale or Harvard starts appointing Jesuit deans. Frankly, it is my impression that the University got burned last time it took a Jesuit when it wasn't clear he was up to the job of running a school with Georgetown's profile and aspirations. Tim Healy ain't walking through that door. We should probably get used to a lay person being president as the rule, not the exception. But I'd be interested in CWS's and Reformation's thoughts on future presidents. What would be your criteria?

[Jack]

Indeed, Pilarz' credentials last time around were English professor and interim chaplain. He may be gaining valuable experience at Scranton, but I would want to see him move to a bigger Jesuit university before GU could even consider him. About the only Jesuit schools you could consider hiring from would be BC and maybe Holy Cross, Fordham, the Loyolas, possibly Fairfield.

GU's problem is that any decent Jesuit who connects with students and has an inkling for administration will be hired away for a position way above what the faculty would tolerate on the Hilltop. Pilarz is exhibit A. Sending Ryan Maher to Qatar was one way of promoting him and giving him some valuable experience without putting him in the spotlight where academics would scoff at his credentials on the main campus. Even so, whose to say what will happen if Brophy Prep is looking for a new principal, or the University of Portland would like a Jesuit provost?

Too bad Kevin Wildes inherited such a mess at Loyola New Orleans- he may be too much in need there to be able to look to him to come back any time soon. But at least he had some pretty serious academic cred in the Bioethics world and now some serious administrative experience too. Even so, it would be hard to imagine Jane McAuliffe feeling good about taking orders from someone who was once her Associate Dean.

[CWS]

Just off the top of my head, I think the general abilities I'd look for in a prospective president are that (1) he'd have a vision for the university which both advances it while maintaining its particular identity and that (2) he have a demonstrated ability to organize and direct institutional resources toward achieving that vision. The ability to organize and direct resources would require, among other things, that he be an able fundraiser and that he have the gift of hiring well (the president, like any good CEO, doesn't need to know how to do everything; he just needs to hire well the people who will do those tasks). [Professional competency is key. While being a Jesuit would be an added plus, it would not for me be at all the most important criterion. And, I agree, that it might likely require some fortuitous development. ]

O'Donovan had virtually NO administrative experience; he was the formation director for young Maryland Jesuits before he became president. (!?!) There's no way the Pilarz was even considered for the presidency back in 2001 (and so wasn't "passed over"); he was only 4 or 5 years out of grad school with no administrative experience. He eventually became interim director of campus ministry, at which time he was selected to lead Scranton.

What kind of experience should a candidate for Gtown presidency have before being considered for the job? I'm more ambiguous on that than I sense the poster "Jack" above is. That the candidate have experience is important because it means that he's learned something about doing the job, but also because it gives him a track record, a way of proving whether or not he can do the job. I think the latter's more important, so that if the circumstance of a candidate's previous job is such that it clearly indicates his ability to lead in the presidency role, that might be enough for me.

It all depends on what we're needing or looking for once Jack steps down. I can imagine that Jack will have the Hoya ship sailing in smooth seas by that time, and that the main desire would be for someone who more than anything else is able to raise piles and piles of money. In which case, I'd go for Fr./Dr. Charismatic from St. Smallsville over Fr./Dr. Bureaucrat from Prestiguous U, assuming both had been overall successful administrators.

It seems that Fr. Maher will return to Gtown U.- DC campus this coming semester. Great news.

Re. multiple Jacks on campus: the more dogs the merrier.

[HoyaSinceBirth]

I really like Dejoia. I had him for Ethics of Globalization and Development * he co taught it with lancaster. It was an amazing class and he was an excellent teacher. Very engaging. I definelty agree with CWS assement of dejoia's vision and my impression of him.

[reformation]

In response to Hilltopper 2000 I think that gtwn should seek out somebody who has some combination of the following:

Meaningful stint at an elite institution.
Credible international experience
Either leading academic,bus,govt, military figure
Experience in a field that might be a plus for gtwn(scientist vs philosopher-we've had a lot of the latter lately)
Moral leader-genuine concern for others
Ability to attract talented prof's deans + fundraise

Obviously nobody has all of these, but without the first two, the rest had better be truly outstanding.

It would be nice to have a qualified Jesuit, and there may be some qualified intl jesuit candidates that we are unaware of.(also bryan hehir-head catholic charities)

With regard to the jesuit candidates that others have mentioned, I think that one has to take a step back and consider that none of these guys would even be considered for the presidency of any other top US university and probably not even a deanship either. You'd probably have to think of that type of hire either as a figurehead or perhaps as such a unique and dynamic leader that their sheer force of personality can overcome their lack of relevant experience. I think you have to ask youself is Gtwn really that unique or is the candidate so outstanding in order to hire somebody who could not get a similar job elsewhere.

[CWS]

reformation said:

In response to Hilltopper 2000 I think that gtwn should seek out somebody who has some combination of the following:

Meaningful stint at an elite institution.
Credible international experience
Either leading academic,bus,govt, military figure
Experience in a field that might be a plus for gtwn(scientist vs philosopher-we've had a lot of the latter lately)
Moral leader-genuine concern for others
Ability to attract talented prof's deans + fundraise

Obviously nobody has all of these, but without the first two, the rest had better be truly outstanding.

It would be nice to have a qualified Jesuit, and there may be some qualified intl jesuit candidates that we are unaware of.(also bryan hehir-head catholic charities)

With regard to the jesuit candidates that others have mentioned, I think that one has to take a step back and consider that none of these guys would even be considered for the presidency of any other top US university and probably not even a deanship either. You'd probably have to think of that type of hire either as a figurehead or perhaps as such a unique and dynamic leader that their sheer force of personality can overcome their lack of relevant experience. I think you have to ask youself is Gtwn really that unique or is the candidate so outstanding in order to hire somebody who could not get a similar job elsewhere.

I don't have any administrative experience (or personal aspirations for such), but this is all interesting. Speaking as a neophyte on such matters, I overall agree with the above except I wouldn't place quite as much stress on the exceptional importance the first two. Again, no MBA or experience in administration here, but my own instinct is to give more importance to the personal qualities of the candidate (more so, that is, than what he/she has done or had experience in).

Adding to my earlier list of being a great fundraiser and proven ability to hire well, and to above list, here's my stream of conscious wish list, as I procrastinate getting started in the day:

Renaissance man, serious scholar/brilliant, up-to-date on contemporary thought in the humanities; socially adept; charming without being fatuous; a person of gravitas (i.e., commanding presence, authority); well able to represent the religious identity of the institution; infectious in energy and enthusiasm; a real pragmatic sense of what is realistic and possible; though caring, also has a toughness and managerial realism which allows “him” to make hard decisions fruitfully (firing people, terminating cherished programs, confronting/challenging “enemies,” all in productive ways); person of integrity grounded in a good moral compass; comfortable in own skin with no emotional neediness; a sensitive and good listener, yet also thick skin; having the kind of analytic skills which allow “him” to understand complex dynamics and identify problems and solutions; a leader in institutional integrity (i.e., willing to make decisions based on something else besides “objective” criteria of success or market forces—e.g., because such decisions are in keeping with Gtown’s identity [e.g., so that not everything is decided by concern for USNews ranking]); a felt sense of marketing dynamics (how to package the institution, sensitive to opportunities for branding, what sells Gtown to its constituencies, etc.); awareness of importance of rites and rituals (not just religious) that shape the social character of the institution and deepen the sense the institution’s heritage and traditions among its constituencies; good reading of key/big moments and insight into appropriate responses (e.g., during moments of tragedy or celebration; able to say just the right thing to sum up and mark the occasion).

Given the fluidity of CEO placements, it strikes me that whatever skill set it takes to be a CEO translates well from operation to operation (so that a guy with proven skills can move well from the auto industry to telecom work to think tank to non-profit organization).

Still, significant experience at an elite institution is a real plus. Of course, what constitutes "significant"? Board of directors, dean, provost, department chair, grab bag of lower level positions?

[joey0403p]

I know we touched on this before, but I really don't anticipate Degioia leaving anytime soon. So all of this is speculation - but

1 - Pilarz did apply for the post of president. So whether he was seriously considered or not; he applied we said no thank you. He left the following year to go to Scranton. In my heart of hearts I really believe he went there to 'get ready' to come back at Georgetown's president after X number of years. We have a connection with Scranton as Fr. Davis a Dean (I think) at Georgetown for many many years was living at Scranton at the time.

2 - I used to think the same thing about the board being wary of hiring another Jesuit after Leo. However, I did hear from a credible source that DeGioia was Leo's hand picked successor. And as much as people had issues with Leo the board (or members of it) still like him / showed loyalty to him. So I'm not trying to say there was some conspiracy or anything because so much went into the hiring of our current president that it would be silly to think it was done in an afternoon. They hired a search committee and went through the process of finding the best man for the job. From what I heard there were 3 finalist 2 Jesuits and Jack. The board thought Jack was the best man for the job and so they offered him the job. All this means is I refuse to believe that any real or perceived shortcomings of Leo would not have swayed the board either way. They were picking between another Jesuit and Leo's hand picked successor; it just doesn't make sense.

3 - Criteria for a president IMO: It would be mandatory that they had a vision for the university that was in the spirit of Jesuit education and they would have the capacity to raise buckets and buckets of money. Anything else would be gravy. The admin part? That is why you have a provost and deans and VPs like Portfield.

[joey0403p]

The Provost by the way - is the man.

[hoyaLS05]

joey0403p said:

The Provost by the way - is the man.

This is what everyone seems to say. With his resume, would anyone be surprised if he was offered the President's job at another elite, but maybe not Ivy, institution?

[CWS]

joey0403p said:

1 - Pilarz did apply for the post of president. ...He left the following year to go to Scranton.

No, I think you're confusing two different searches. O'Donovan announced his retirement in the summer of 2000; search for his successor began immediately. [At this point, Pilarz was only 4 years out of grad school with absolutely no administrative experience; if he applied, he got some really, really awful advice.] DeGioia began in 2001. Adam Bunnell, University Chaplain, steps down in 2002; Pilarz steps in as interim, at the request of DeGioia and, meanwhile, throws his hat in the ring for that position (i.e., University Chaplain). Eventually, however, that position morphs into a different, more expansive position, VP for Mission and Ministry, for which DeGioia wanted a more senior Jesuit and so hires Fr. Phil Borroughs. Around the same time, Scranton is looking for a president, and invites Pilarz to apply, which he does.

[strummer8526]

hoyals05 said:

joey0403p said:

The Provost by the way - is the man.

This is what everyone seems to say. With his resume, would anyone be surprised if he was offered the President's job at another elite, but maybe not Ivy, institution?

My info is again COMPLETELY just something I heard from someone else in the class of 07 so it might be way off. But I've heard that Pierce (the Provost) was born at Georgetown when LXR was still part of the hospital. His first job as a kid was somehow at Georgetown. He went to Georgetown. It kept going. At the time, my friend's point was that he's the most loyal Hoya there is, which I would hope means that we keep him from a peer/rival institution.

[Jack]

Pierce is the registrar, and the story is about right on for him. O'Donnell is the Provost, who came to GU from Penn and did not attend GU.

[hoyatables]

Pierce's son also went to Georgetown.

[reformation]

As a follow up to the comments re: criteria for choosing a new president :

I think some people are confusing competence with the ability/inability to delegate. I don't think we would really want a situation where we had a president who relies on the provost / deans/consultants to tell him what to do. Obviously the pres will take advice/execution help from these type of people but would need to have some ideas on his own to be credible and add value. A couple of prominent examples from the financial world of organizational harm caused by having a leader who doesn't know the business would be Morgan Stanley under Purcell, which has since been turned around by Mack(who knows the business). Citigroup under Prince would be another example. In both cases the CEO's missed big mkt oppty's and ground to competitors partly because they were too cautious, promoted weak people etc.-a result of not having a real feel for the business. Higher education these days is highly competitive; I think we want somebody who can carry his own weight and is not afraid to shake things up a bit.-kind of like our AD has done.


I guess that the other posters envision a President to operate in a manner similar to a Ronald Reagan, e.g., which I agree could also work but it is extremely rare in practice to find leaders like this. Also remember that Reagan was unique in that he was willing to take controversial positions and risk, which is something that most figurehead type leaders don't do.


As far as formulating a practical vision, that does generally not come out of thin air. It generally helps to have had some prior first hand exposure to the issues at hand. Also, while having our goals/actions rooted in the Jesuit tradition is necessary, Gtwn needs to also have some much more concrete objectives too. Otherwise nobody will really be accountable and nothing will ever get done. That doesn't mean that we make decisions solely on rankings. However, we should have ranking or other appropriate measurable objectives, e.g., and hold people accountable when they are not met.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

Word to the wise: Do not anger John Q. Pierce - the mustachioed maceman will take you down.


As far as internal candidates what do people think about Dan Porterfield?

[DFW HOYA]

An interesting set of responses, although I'm not sure where it jumped into a presidentical succession thread. Anyway, some thoughts:

1. I think DeGioia is doing precisely what the Board of Directors want---to balance the books, to get a strategic direction for the place, and to keep the academic train running on schedule. At 49, he's not retiring anytime soon, and will be the visible spokesman for an upcoming campaign that, if successful, firmly elevates Georgetown amongst the nation's elite institutions; if it fails, it could relegate GU among that cloudy mix of schools (Brandeis, Tufts, William & Mary, Tulane) that are considered very good schools, but no longer considered for the top group.

2. I have some mixed feelings on the "religious issues" discussion--while altogether valuable, it sometimes seems catholic (with a small "c") and less connected with the RC faith itself. (Disclosure: having gone to a Jesuit HS where the latter was more stressed may be at the root of my take on the matter.) Somehow, I hope GU speaking out more on Church matters will not otherwise disturb its Ivy Brahmin down the road.

3. Temporal issues such Darnall Cafeteria are likely tied up in GU legal purgatory, so I'll give him a pass on that one.

4. The whole issue of the Jesuits and why an S.J. doesn't sit in 2nd Healy is a interesting conversation. A colleague of mine affiliated with another school out on the West Coast thinks that the order itself is in decline and would rather focus its remaining resources on teaching than administration. Ther persistent rumors that there were no qualified Jesuits that sought the job in 1999-01 raises a question best left for another decade.

Behind the scenes, I have no idea what happened in DeGioia's search. The two public delays by the search committee may not have been as much a need for time as when a candidate did step forward, the financial quicksand that GU was in caused him/her to remvoe their name from consideration. I did read where during one of the delays, there was a outside group which approached various Jesuits nationwide to get their names in the ring, but each declined. Had GU chosen a president that needed 12-18 months to get up to speed, it would have got to a point where it would have needed to sell off more than the hospital to make ends meet, so DeGioia's experience was invaluable in this regard.

Before we talk about Jesuits out there with presidential aspirations, how about some deans first? Georgetown doesn't have a single Jesuit at the Dean's level or higher, which raises the issue of whether people would support Jesuits (or other orders) as deans in CAS and SFS, much less Med or Law. Sadly, I think there's a segment out there which buys into the idea that an Ivy-minted Ph.D. should win out over a cleric every time.

Overall, Jack's doing a good job, in many ways most alumni never see. He'd be the first to echo Hilltopper2000's comments above: "Tim Healy ain't walking through that door." He was one of a kind and then some, and a hard act to follow even today.

[CWS]

dfw said:

4. The whole issue of the Jesuits and why an S.J. doesn't sit in 2nd Healy is a interesting conversation. A colleague of mine affiliated with another school out on the West Coast thinks that the order itself is in decline and would rather focus its remaining resources on teaching than administration.

Before we talk about Jesuits out there with presidential aspirations, how about some deans first? Georgetown doesn't have a single Jesuit at the Dean's level or higher, which raises the issue of whether people would support Jesuits (or other orders) as deans in CAS and SFS, much less Med or Law. Sadly, I think there's a segment out there which buys into the idea that an Ivy-minted Ph.D. should win out over a cleric every time.

The numbers of Jesuits are declining (as are the numbers of priests in general). How long that decline will continue is a matter of speculation, but it is almost certainly the case that Gtown will have less Jesuits 10 years from now than what it has now. I think Gtown will do fine in adapting, but it's a fact of life that is good to be prepared for (as I think DeGioia is).

There has not been any national decision by Jesuits to focus on teaching or administration; generally, that choice depends on each individual Jesuit's decision, in conversation with his provincial.

Gtown has been pretty good about welcoming competent Jesuits into administrative positions. The highest Jesuit administrator at Gtown is Phil Borroughs. If Maher comes back to the College Dean's office, he'll be likely be an associate dean there (and Gallucci had eagerly invited him to be an administrator in Qatar). Gtown has been a great launching pad for other Jesuit administrators: Bob Laughton (pres. Loyola-Marymound, former dean of college); Mike Garanzini, (pres. Loyola Chicago, former assistant to Gtown president); Jeff von Arx (pres. Fairfield, former chair of history at Gtown [also: former dean at Fordham]); Scott Pilarz, pres. at Scranton (former interim head of campus ministry), and Kevin Wildes, pres. at Loyola (former associate dean in the college).

[HoyaDestroya02]

It was never my impression that Pilarz really had a chance. CW was that he needed to leave to make himself qualified in the future (but I could be wrong).

[joey0403p]

Quick question how do you know where the registrar was born??

What does the Q stand for?

John Q Pierce is the University Registrar and Associate Provost according to the website.

I heard he met his wife at g town too, and that he carries the Mace with him at all times; though normally hidden under his jacket.

[TrueHoyaBlue]

Quincy