The University Record, November 14, 1996
"Lee's intelligence, compassion and wit will be invaluable assets
as he assumes the leadership of the University. His appreciation for
the values and traditions of Michigan will serve him equally well in
representing the University externally."
--Robert Beckley, dean,
College of Architecture and Urban Planning
"I congratulate the Advisory Committee and the Regents for their
success in recruiting a president with commitment to academic values
and a record of accomplishment as an administrator. Under difficult
circumstances, they have recruited an outstanding leader. The
University of Michigan is fortunate indeed."
--Miriam Meisler, professor of human genetics
"Lee Bollinger was a terrific colleague when he served as dean of
our Law School, someone whose views I always found to be well
considered. I hated to see him leave, and I am just delighted that
he's coming home as our President. Lee is an academic leader of
enormous capability."
-- Edie Goldenberg, dean,
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
"I am very pleased with the selection of Lee Bollinger as our next
president. He has the most important qualities: impeccable personal
integrity, strong academic values, a personal record of scholarship
and academic achievement, and a deep love of the University of
Michigan. I hope and believe that the entire University community
will rally around this appointment and provide our help and support
to Lee as he begins the work of assembling a senior leadership team
for the University and forging an agenda to ensure Michigan's
continued excellence."
-- B. Joseph White, dean, Business School
"Lee is no stranger to the Michigan Mandate. We're at a crossroads
on issues surrounding affirmative action, and it will take strong
University leadership to meet the challenges that are sure to come.
Lee has labeled many of these challenges as `fundamentally misguided
and to some extent with ill will.' I believe he is committed to not
only continuing the Mandate, but also to making it more effective.
Bollinger is also a strong proponent of excellence in undergraduate
education. Having our undergraduates fully integrated into the life
of the University is a goal we all strive to achieve, and I am in
full support of Lee's efforts in this regard."
--Lester Monts, vice provost
for academic and multicultural affairs
"I think Lee Bollinger will be an excellent choice. He's
everything everyone says he is - an excellent human being with an
excellent reputation."
-- Allen Samuels, dean, School of Art and Design
"I believe the Presidential Search Advisory Group did an
outstanding job of generating a list of excellent candidates. I
consider Lee Bollinger to be a very capable intellectual leader. His
academic vision and understanding of university culture will advance
the University's tripartite mission at this crucial moment in our
history. I believe Lee Bollinger will make an excellent
president."
--Paula Allen-Meares, dean, School of Social Work
"As a result of his experience at Dartmouth, Provost Bollinger has
gained a good understanding of the special challenges that face
academic medical centers. He has also expressed support for the
creation of the position of executive vice president for medical
affairs. I am optimistic that he will be able to recruit an
outstanding individual to this key new position and that we can take
the necessary steps to assure that our academic and clinical programs
remain strong."
--A. Lorris Betz, interim dean, Medical School
"I think the appointment of Lee Bollinger is an achievement for
the entire University community. He genuinely appreciates Michigan
for the things that are so central to its institutional identity,
including, among others, broadly-shared commitments to educational
innovation and interdisciplinarity, to diverse participation and
inclusiveness, to social responsibility and community partnerships.
As a person also recently drawn back to the U-M by its intellectual
and social magneticism, I nearly melted when he suggested to the
Regents that they construct a fund for Michiganders to return home.
Welcome home, from a recent returnee!"
--Nancy Cantor, dean,
Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies
"In selecting Lee Bollinger to become our next President, the
Regents made an excellent choice from a very strong group of
candidates. I am confident that Lee will provide the needed vision
and leadership to help us meet the many challenges and opportunities
facing the University."
--Cecil Miskel, dean, School of Education
"I'm pleased with the Regents' decision to offer the position to
Lee. It's clear to me that he understands the mission of this
University. He clearly is academically oriented and believes in
quality education and scholarship. He brings a nice blend of
administrative experience to the presidency and his position as
provost at Dartmouth gives him the perspective of the undergraduate
side. His personal qualities and style impress me. I think he's going
to be a very effective communicator and representative of the
University."
--James W. Richards, dean, College of Pharmacy
"I am delighted that Lee was selected as president. His intellect,
insight, academic core values, and love for the University are all
welcomed back to Ann Arbor. He was a valued colleague before leaving
and will provide great leadership for a great institution."
--William Kotowicz, acting dean, School of Dentistry
"It has been particularly gratifying and reassuring to see the
rapid and solid consensus among the Regents in favor of the selection
of our next president. I am delighted that this appointment reaffirms
the University's commitment both to serious academic values and a
responsible role for the University in society. It is the capacity
for double-visiona simultaneous focus inward on generating knowledge
and educated students, and a focus outward on the larger social and
human issues that extend beyond the Universitythat distinguishes
great universities. I believe our new president has that capacity in
abundance."
--Abigail Stewart, director,
Institute for Research on Women and Gender
"Lee Bollinger is an intellectually curious person which, among
his other fine attributes, will serve the academic mission of this
university very well. I think the faculty can look forward to
engaging him in a wide variety of academic and intellectual issues
and will find him open to new initiatives and ideas and highly
supportive and appreciative of their efforts."
--Paul Boylan, dean, School of Music
"I'm delighted by the nomination of Lee Bollinger . In the years
we were colleagues here (though our disciplines are at best
contiguous), I found him to be the very definition of colleague as
leader; he listened and thought hard, spoke and wrote eloquently,
ably, and with a passionate integrity that augurs well indeed."
--Nicholas Delbanco, professor of English
"I am delighted with the selection of Lee Bollinger as the next
president of the University. I am especially pleased with his support
for research opportunities for undergraduates which will help prepare
our students to make creative contributions throughout their careers.
Lee Bollinger has a deep understanding of the U-M and will bring
great enthusiasm to his new role. I believe he will be an outstanding
president and continue the rapid intellectual and physical growth of
the University begun by Jim Duderstadt and sustained by Homer
Neal."
--H. Scott Fogler, the Vennema
Professor of Chemical Engineering
"I had an opportunity to meet Mr. Bollinger when he was dean of
the Law School. I think this is a strong choice. He loves Michigan,
and he has the intellect and integrity to be an outstanding
president."
--Philip H. Bucksbaum, professor of physics
"I take some personal pride in the University's hiring of Lee Bollinger. I was dean of the Law School when Lee was hired as a faculty member.
"I think Lee has some wonderful qualities. The very first thing I think of in connection with Lee is the recognition of and real championing of academic and intellectual values. He is a touchstone. He resonates to what I think are the core values in educational institutions.
"This is reflected in little ways. For example, when he gives a speech, a literary reference he makes comes not from some subordinate, but from a book Lee has read and remembered. Especially as universities get so large and complex and impersonal, it is terribly reassuring for faculty to realize that their president is a person with these kind of values.
"The second thing is Lee's style of leadership. It's a consensus-building style. He doesn't go marching off in some direction and expect everyone to follow along. He's a wonderfully persuasive individual. In an institution where there is widely spread authority in so many individual units, that's a useful style to bring to bear.
"The third thing about Lee is that he's a very kind,
compassionate, understanding individual. He exudes a warm
friendlinessnot ostentatious, but very genuine. Don't expect a
brilliant smile. He's understated; he grows on you. But beneath all
his extremely pleasant, modest demeanor, this is a very strong man,
and very competitive. He can be tough as nails when the occasion
demands it."
--Theodore J. St. Antoine,
professor of law, and former dean, Law School
"It is to Lee Bollinger's credit that his presence, his track
record and his reputation could unite the Regents behind him. The
support he had in this community is nothing short of phenomenal. This
is all the more remarkable because he was here for many years, and
has taken principled stands on many complex issues. Yet, he manages
to do so with such integrity and clarity that even people who
disagree with him still respect him immensely."
--Huda Akil, the Gardner C. Quarton
Professor of Neurosciences
"I am delighted that the Regents chose Provost Bollinger to be the
next president. He has had two years at Dartmouth College, where
there is substantial emphasis on good teaching. He is teaching an
undergraduate course now and thinks he will continue to teach when he
becomes president. That will signify to the U-M community the
importance he places on teaching. He also, in the course of his
interview here, said that he thinks it is important for the president
to have regular conversations with the deans about teaching
issues."
--Constance E. Cook, director,
Center for Research on Learning and Teaching
"I think Lee is a tremendous choice. He was one of my first selections as a dean, and I have followed his career with great interest. I was worried that he might be so happy at Dartmouth that it would be difficult to attract him to Michigan, particularly into a public search.
"He possesses a deep sense of academic values, the courage to go
with his deep convictions, a strong sense of integrityand he is a
genuinely nice guy to boot."
--James J. Duderstadt, president emeritus
"I believe that Lee Bollinger will be an outstanding president for
the University. He has powerful professional commitments to academic
values, to teaching, to scholarship, and to the distinctive qualities
of openness that characterize university life. Those commitments are
matched with a personal style that values patience, listening,
careful deliberation, and action grounds in principle."
--Jeffrey S. Lehman, dean, Law School, and chair, Presidential
Search Advisory Committee
"The University of Michigan is a huge and diverse institution with
a complex mission, and it has consistently managed to grow its own
excellent administrators. I am impressed with Lee Bolinger's rise
through the ranks in the Law School and his simultaneous commitments
to scholarship, the public interest, and promoting the excellence of
the institutions he has served. He appears to have something to offer
every member of our University community."
--Timothy Chupp, professor of physics,
and associate chair, graduate program
"While I do not know Lee personally, from what I have learned
about him I fully expect that he will make an outstanding president.
I look forward to getting to know him and work with him to help the
University achieve even greater excellence."
--Stephen Director, dean, College of Engineering
"With the sense of homecoming accenting the selection of Lee
Bollinger as the twelfth president of the University, there is a
tendency to lose sight of the qualities which he personally displayed
during the selection process. From a faculty perspective an important
one was his willingness to take risks and, in conformity with his
clearly articulated attitudes toward First Amendment freedoms, to
express his attitude in terms of specific statements rather than
generalities. No one who followed the course of the Regental and town
meeting components of the selection process could have failed to be
aware of his direct comments on issues (which he might easily have
ducked), ranging from the desirability of university presidents
contributing to `serious public debate,' through his criticism of the
U.S. News and World Report rankings and his rejection of the notion
of students as `customers,' to his disavowal of himself as
a`high-powered business person.' The capacity of the University of
Michigan to take risks was spoken of enviously by President Bok of
Harvard some time ago and it is reassuring to the faculty to have an
adventurous spirit and scholar for our president in the undoubtedly
difficult times ahead for public tertiary education."
--Thomas Dunn, Chair, SACUA