How Modesto Junior College can do better in future searches for president

The contentious selection of the Modesto Junior College president seems to have been settled, and I’m certain that all parties, college and community, wish him success.

Santanu Bandyopadhyay faces considerable challenges as he attempts to heal the college after the COVID-19 disaster. There will be serious issues about curricular direction. There will be equally serious questions about his own leadership after what seemed to many a flawed selection process.

As a former professor, academic dean, member of the Foundation Board and trustee, I have been a member of many selection committees. I would like to share some thoughts about this important but imprecise process.

The selection of presidents and chancellors is critical. The college should be led by someone who lives locally and understands the many reasons why MJC enjoys a special relationship with the community by supplying its trained workforce needs.

The college has chosen some leaders who were not committed to our college or the community. As The Bee editorial points out, we are in the bottom quartile in California for retention of presidents. The individuals who left us for “greener pastures” represent multimillion-dollar mistakes. We must learn to do better.

Trustees should understand that the pool of potential administrators at the highest level is rather shallow. Having taken part in many conferences attended by presidents and chancellors, I have observed that many, as The Bee noted, use one position as a stepping stone to reach a higher level of compensation. They stroke professional egos by reaching for higher and higher salaries, and they use that competition to leverage demands on trustees.

While a trustee, a chancellor once shared with the board the fact that another college had offered her a substantially better compensation package. Would we match the offer?

A minority of us said “no.” We were experienced enough to understand that while a few top administrators are truly exceptional, most are interchangeable and ordinary — not worth the added expense of a bribe to stay.

How to do better? A few thoughts and suggestions:

Trustees should visit the campus and interact informally with a broad spectrum of faculty and staff. From these interactions, however brief, board members may gain insights into challenges faced by the college community.

Recognize that each member of the selection committee may bring his or her own preferences to the search process; this can be a source of bias. The committee should begin by trying to form a consensus as to the qualities and abilities that are most desired and needed in a new president or chancellor. Consensus makes it difficult for a committee member to pursue his or her own agenda.

Ask that candidates respond to a set of questions that probes further than a mere recitation of experiences and educational ideals. Let the questions be hypothetical situations which require the candidate to make a decision based on provided information. The decision should include professional and ethical issues.

Let the committee observe how candidates respond. Are they decisive but careful to explore the issues implicit in the question? Or do they come to a snap decision — judgment without full understanding?

Further, MJC has lost two presidents in the recent past due to health issues. A full health report should be required as part of an application.

Finally, it should be a contractual requirement that the applicant make a commitment to live in the area. It is critical that the new president understand local employment issues and be ready to assist the business community by providing targeted training.

Also, fundraising through the MJC Foundation is an important responsibility of a president. That individual must have desire and ability to cultivate relationships with potential donors. Results should become a demonstrable part of the evaluation process.

This story was originally published June 22, 2021 at 4:00 AM.