Baylor Gets a New President

[MrMustang1965]

By DIANE JENNINGS / The Dallas Morning News

John Lilley, the 66-year-old president of the University of Nevada, Reno and a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, was named president of Baylor University Friday afternoon – a surprising choice for the world's largest Baptist University.

Dr. Lilley's sudden selection came as a surprise to some for several reasons: his age, his current religious affiliation and his experience at state schools.

In addition, the school he is leaving – which was unaware of his departure until an hour before the public announcement – has been wracked by the same kind of faculty-administration discord that has scarred Baylor during the last decade.

Nonetheless, Baylor regents appeared thrilled by their unanimous choice – unanimity being scarce in recent years.

"It was unbelievable," said board chairman Will Davis. "He got 36 of the (votes) from the board of regents."


A question of character

The board backed Dr. Lilley, a Baylor alumnus, because he is "a very, very dynamic, charismatic fella," Mr. Davis said. "He's very honest. He's very straightforward. He's very sincere in his approach. He's awfully knowledgeable about higher education in academic circles and ... he has the heritage of Baylor."

Dr. Lilley succeeds Bill Underwood, a law school professor who became interim president in June, five months after embattled leader Robert B. Sloan Jr. left the post to become the school's chancellor.

Dr. Lilley said Friday that he was not looking for a new job and would leave "only for Baylor."

"Some dear, wonderful people are not very happy right now," he said. "But I'll have a chance to tell them how special this all is, and they'll understand."

Dr. Lilley is a graduate of Baylor with bachelor's degrees in music and music education, as well as a master's degree in music. He earned a Ph.D from the University of Southern California in 1971.

He began his career at Claremont College in California, and worked at Kansas State University before spending 21 years at the helm of Penn State University at Erie. He became president of the University of Nevada, Reno in 2001.

Dr. Lilley said he didn't think he would have any difficulty shifting from a public school environment to a private one.

"I have such affection for Baylor and so completely believe in its mission," he said. "I don't think it will be a very big transition," hes aid. "My wife and I are both people of faith and we believe in Baylor and we expect to be completely comfortable."



Baptist roots

The son of a Baptist preacher – and a native of Louisiana – Dr Lilley is an ordained Baptist minister himself. But in recent years he has served as a ruling elder in the Presbyterian church.

Not to worry, said university spokesman Larry Brumley: "He'll be a Baptist before the weekend's over. ... He's a Baptist through and through."

Baylor's adherence to its Baptist heritage has been a bone of contention for years – ever since the university distanced itself from the Baptist General Convention of Texas in 1990.

Dr. Lilley, who has been divorced, said that he and his wife intend to join a Baptist church Sunday and that he never really left the Baptist church. "I was raised a Baptist, always been a Baptist," he said, adding that he "made that clear to the Presbyterian ministers" where he served.

Charles Wade, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, said he would have preferred Dr. Lilley had been involved in Baptist churches as he moved around the country, but "people have to make their decision about their church based on several factors that each individual has to evaluate."

Mr. Wade said he had discussed the situation with members of the committee and "they assured me in their conversation that he is looking forward to this opportunity to be involved in Baptist life again."


Leadership concern

Though regents appear thrilled by Dr. Lilley's selection, other members of the Baylor family were less enthusiastic.

Bette McCall Miller, a member of the board of directors of the Baylor Alumni Association, said she wondered if the board was aware of the morale problems at the University of Nevada, Reno. But she added, "I don't want to judge Dr. Lilley before we see him and see what he can do."

A UNR faculty report released in August said some faculty members felt a "climate of fear and distrust" pervaded the campus. A "large number of respondents" to a faculty survey cited "intimidation, fear and powerlessness among university faculty and staff."

According to the survey, some faculty and staff criticized the university's leadership style for being "top-down" and "paternalistic,"

Similar feelings have cropped up at Baylor.

The faculty senate took a vote of no confidence on former President Sloan in 2003.

The group said, "Dr. Sloan's presidency has produced a chilling work environment, a climate characterized by distrust, anxiety, intimidation, favoritism."

Some faculty also criticized Baylor's administration for making decisions without getting opinions from faculty and others on campus at the 14,000-student school.

"It sounds too much like what we had for 10 years," Ms. Miller said. "The very thing that concerned us the most about President Sloan's leadership was the climate of fear and mistrust."

Mr. Davis said regents were aware of the report and "it concerned us initially until we looked into them." People on campus in Reno satisfied regents' concerns, he said.



Dr. Eric Robinson, chair of the faculty senate at Baylor, said he had not read the report, but that he expected Dr. Lilley to address the issue early in his tenure. "My guess is he's going to be very transparent and open and clear," he said.


No advance notice

Still, he said he was slightly disturbed that no one from the Baylor Board of Regents notified the faculty senate that a new president was being named Friday.

Considering the problems the Baylor faculty has had, "I would have expected to give the Senate some heads up," he said. "I got nothing. It surprises and disappoints me."

Dr. Grant Stitt, professor of criminal justice at UNR who was involved with the report on morale, said he would let the document speak for itself. But he added that Dr. Lilley followed a longtime president and anybody who came in and made changes "would not be taken easily."

Dr. Stitt said he was surprised by Dr. Lilley's departure because he has been at UNR for only a few years and is at an age when many think of retiring.

"We had thought when he took this post this might be the last post he would want," he said.

"Everybody that I know is surprised," he said, particularly since Dr. Lilley recently received a contract extension.

Staff writer Holly Hacker contributed to this report.

[smupony94]

Great post