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More university presidents likely to have political background
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For Boise State high-level administrators, political backgrounds may be more important than educational backgrounds.
An article in The Chronicle of Higher Educations titled, “The Nature and Nurture of Presidents,” a growing number of university presidents are coming from a non-academic background.
The article noted that there are very few candidates for university presidencies that have both academic and political skill. Schools usually must pick one or the other depending on their needs.
BSU President Bob Kustra said also believes this to be the case. He said that there is a limited trend among public schools to pick presidents that come from political backgrounds.
He said he believes that the number of universities doing this is small but that the trend is growing.
“There’s no doubt that is an increasing tendency on the part of board to try to find presidents who have, if not, like I have, formal elected office experience, at least more experience in dealing with legislators,” Kustra said. He said this is because it is increasingly difficult to gain funding from legislatures.
According to Kustra, his political background gives him familiarity with the legislative system. He said it also allows him to develop relationships with political officials that are beneficial to the university in the long run.
“My ten years in the legislature is like membership in a club, so when I go to the legislator I’m like a member of their club,” Kustra said.
He said this leads to an understanding between him and the legislators that is to the advantage of the university as it undertakes the ‘master plan.’
According to John Owens, associate dean for research for the College of Engineering and former BSU vice president for research, the State Board of Education chose Kustra as BSU’s president because he has specific skills and attributes. Owens said he believes one attribute that was particularly important is his familiarity with legislators.
As a former lieutenant governor of Illinois, as well as former president of the Eastern Kentucky University, Kustra has experience in two vital areas of campus administration at public universities as well as teaching experience as a professor of political science.
Public and private universities have a distinct difference. One is run by the state and the other is not. Campus administrators at public schools, like Kustra at BSU, have to deal with government for policy and funding. Owens said Kustra was brought to BSU to pave the way for the master plan and the hope was that he could improve “available resources.”
David Saunders, president of the Faculty Senate at BSU, said he agrees with Owens to a certain extent. He said he believes that Kustra’s political background was definitely a factor in his being chosen for the position.
“I was strongly in favor of Dr. Kustra partly because of his political background,” Saunders said.
He said he believes that Kustra’s political skill is a benefit to BSU, but that politics are not the core
of his job. According to Saunders, academics are just as important and that these skills can compliment each other. Owens said this is not something unique to BSU.
“Higher education is changing dramatically and will [continue to] over the next few years,” Owens said. He said states are getting out of the business of funding schools, so attributes like political skill are of benefit to high-level administrators in order to maintain funding.
Micah McLaughlin
News Writer