Only Henderson granted interview for Tech presidency

Story updated - Oct. 10 @8:20 a.m.

The path is clear for University of Louisiana System President Jim Henderson to be named the next leader of Louisiana Tech University later this month.

The UL System Board of Supervisors on Monday voted 12-1 to dispense with its usual search process and invite Henderson — and only Henderson — to interview for the Tech presidency at a special board meeting on Oct. 25.

The board invites the public to provide input on the selection at that meeting.

Henderson is the direct supervisor of the university presidents in the UL System. If appointed to the Tech presidency, he will replace the retiring Les Guice at the end of the calendar year.

“It is an honor to be considered as President Guice’s successor, and I would relish working with faculty, staff, students, and alumni to lead Tech into its next era of excellence,” Henderson said in a press release after Monday’s meeting.

Henderson could not be reached for comment by press time Monday. The board’s rules require it to form a search committee that seeks input from faculty, students and community members before making a recommendation on a candidate for a university presidency. At least one faculty member from the institution must sit on that committee.

The system president, currently Henderson, is typically the non-voting chairman of that search committee. That process has already been followed twice this year to name the new presidents of Southeastern Louisiana University and the University of New Orleans.

But after an executive session that lasted more than three hours, the board voted to suspend those rules and invite Henderson to be the sole interviewee.

Ruston’s Steve Davison made the motion to suspend the rules, and only Lola Dunahoe of Natchitoches voted against it.

“As a Board, we recognize choosing the chief executives for our nine member institutions as our most critical work,” Board Chair Elizabeth Pierre said. “That process, guided by System bylaws and rules as well as Louisiana statute, never envisioned a System president participating.

“When Dr. Henderson expressed his interest in this role, the Board felt it necessary to explore all available options for this particular circumstance. We look forward to hearing from faculty, staff, and students relative to the action we ultimately take.”

Louisiana Tech University Senate President Louis Reis could not be reached for comment Monday, but last week said the faculty expected to be given at least as much participation in the president search as the other two universities were earlier this year.

Rumor of Henderson’s interest in the Tech post had swirled for weeks before he confirmed to several outlets Sunday that he was seeking the position.

Henderson has been president of the UL System for nearly seven years. He has also been president of Northwestern State University and chancellor of Bossier Parish Community College.

Guice said that after working with Henderson for about 15 years, he would feel “ very comfortable” to be succeeded by him. “I’ve been in higher education for a long time, and I can’t think of anybody who’s done a better job of providing leadership for higher education than Jim Henderson,” Guice said. “I was thrilled that he expressed his interest and was invited to interview.”

When asked about the board’s waiving its usual search process, inviting Henderson to interview and asking for public comment, Guice said he thought it was a “good approach” to a “complicated process.”

The board’s agenda Monday also carried an item for members to discuss a “transition” at the system level, but Pierre said that item would be rolled forward to the board’s regular meeting on Oct. 26, the day after the Henderson interview.