Ex-Com takes the lead
AAU to be run by 4 vice-presidents
By Tamina Quinto Penkova
Co-Editor
After a delicate month for AAU's management group, decisions have been finally reached over who will take the hot seat (s) and run the school for the rest of the academic year.
Among major changes announced last week by Aleksandar Obradovic, chairman of the Board of Trustees, was the naming of Kevin Capuder as executive vice president and member of the Executive Committee (Ex-Com), which now has the authority to run the university on a day-to-day basis. Capuder was also named interim president, with responsibilities for leading the search for a new president to replace Joe Drew, who resigned the presidency this fall and assumed the title of chancellor.
The other members of the Ex-Com include Mitchell Young, vice president for academic affairs, Petr Pajas, vice president for administration, and Martin McGoldrick, vice president for institutional advancement and innovation. All are previous Ex-Com members.
"The Executive Committee was given all the executive powers of the president," said Young, " but there are not really any new duties per se."
McGoldrick said he will continue with his old duties and added that not much will be altered in the actual management of AAU, "It's business as usual, only with a different make-up on top," McGoldrick said.
However, Capuder's responsibilities have increased. " I am extremely busy at the moment as, in addition to my new role, I continue to be chairman of the School of Business Administration. I have to be careful on how to prioritize my time," he said.
Among his major duties, Capuder said he has to share the responsibilities within the Ex-Com, represent AAU as the temporary head of it, take care of the finances of the institution, and stand as the "signature" person.
Concerning the reasons Capuder was elected interim president, Obradovic said the decision was reached by a majority of the Board of Trustees voting members, and added that "there was no official candidate search" as it was generally accepted that the interim should be someone from the AAU faculty. He said Capuder has the powers of the interim president, but that "the governance of the school is designed to be a power-sharing body."
Joseph Drew, now chancellor, seems to agree. "Shared governance is a model to be much desired," he said.
Regarding the reason these changes have taken place, Petr Pajas, vice-president for administration, said the management had to developed in a way that would guide AAU to comply with all Czech laws of education. "The hope is that these changes will aid that," Pajas said.
He also commented that as far as the operational activities of Ex-Com, the situation now is "incomparably better."
Asked whether there had been any disagreements between individuals during the time of these administrative changes, Obradovic said, " There were some different points of view, but nothing so far that resulted in open hostility."
On his side, Young said he would prefer not to comment, while Capuder remarked that though he couldn't deny there were disagreements, ultimately it was the Board of Trustees' responsibility to create a structure.
Asked whether there had been any initiatives to let students know of the immediate changes, Capuder said he spoke to the Student Council on Monday Nov. 10, and that it was their responsibility to announce it to the student body. It is not yet known whether the Student Council is proceeding with this task.
As for the search of a new president, Capuder said there is no rush at the moment, but that the process will begin no later than January 2004.
--Tamina Quinto Penkova can be reached at Tamina31@hotmail.com.
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Last issue date: Dec. 12, 2003
