by Malcolm Butler
Monday’s special meeting of the University of Louisiana System Board of Directors included a 3-hour plus executive session where the 13 board members in attendance discussed current ULS President Dr. Jim Henderson’s interest in the Louisiana Tech University president opening.
When the executive session ended and the board reconvened into open session, the Board voted 12-1 to suspend board rule Chapter 3, Section 2, to move forward with interviewing Dr. Henderson to be the next president of Louisiana Tech University on October 25.
The University of Louisiana System governs nine state institutions, including Tech, Grambling State University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, University of Louisiana Lafayette, University of Louisiana Monroe, and the University of New Orleans.
The governor appoints 15 of the 16-member board which includes two members from each congressional district and three at-large members. A student board member is elected annually by the universities’ SGA presidents. Board members serve six year terms.
Henderson will be the sole interviewee on October 25.
Some people, including members of the Tech faculty and staff, have expressed a concern over the lack of a traditional search to replace Dr. Les Guice, who will end his 10-plus year tenure as Tech President on December 31.
Henderson addressed the question over the non-traditional process.
“Because I am the system president and I am the supervisor for all the university presidents and I am in the direct chain of command for all faculty and staff, there are some practical implications,” said Henderson. “The procedural implications are easy. The system president is an integral part of the search. I am charged with chairing the search process. The statue even requires the board to take into consideration my recommendation before selecting a president. All of those procedural things have to be taken into account.”
The October 25 meeting will allow time for the board to receive input from various constituent groups.
“The Board is who selects presidents for universities,” said Henderson. “They do that traditionally from getting buy in from multiple groups. So today I think they were discussing how they could get buy in from groups and to hear from different constituent groups — the faculty, the students, and others — when they have a circumstance where the system president has expressed interest. So that is where we find ourselves.
“If you were to go the traditional search route, the system president couldn’t participate in that. So if you change the procedure and the system president could participate in that then you have a number of factors. One, you would have a chilling affect on the number of applicants who would apply because they thought a fix was in. Two, the system president is chosen and people would criticize it was a predetermined outcome. Or three, the system president is not chosen so you employ a president who then must operationally report to the person you didn’t choose.
“So, it creates a scenario where the credibility of all future searches can be called into question. I think that is what the board was discussing today.”
Henderson, who has served as system president since January 1, 2017, said his interest in the Tech presidential opening is a multifaceted one. The Shreveport native, whose ties to the University go back to his father Clem playing football for the Bulldogs in the 1940s under head coach Joe Aillet, said he feels strongly about Tech’s future.
“My love and passion is being on a university campus,” said Henderson. “When I took this job, it was always with the intent to return to a university at some point. But this university, Louisiana Tech, has a personal meaning to me. My dad started there in 1941 and here we are 82 years later, and my son is a sophomore there. We have had deep ties to Tech throughout that time.
“From a professional perspective, Louisiana Tech is an excellent university. It has remarkable academic programming. In my opinion it is one of the, if not the, strongest university in the state in terms of scholarship, especially undergraduate scholarship. It has immense potential in research, immense potential in economic development – it is right there on the I-20 corridor. It’s highly important to Louisiana and really has a national impact.
“So, for those professional and personal reasons, it’s an opportunity I could not stay away from.”
Henderson served as president at Northwestern State University for from 2015 through 2017 and was a finalist for the president position at LSU in its most recent search.
Henderson is a 1994 Northwestern State graduate in journalism and English. He earned his master’s in administration from West Florida and doctorate in management from the University of Maryland-University College.
Henderson’s experience in higher education and state government includes serving as chancellor of Bossier Parish Community College for nearly six years before becoming president of Northwestern State. He also served as Senior Vice-President for Career and Technical Education for the entire Louisiana Community and Technical College System.
Henderson was Director of Administration and Workforce Development for the Louisiana Department of Labor from 2001 to 2005 and worked in the private sector in hotel management for 10 years before beginning his service in state government.
