USC presidential search

By Staff Reports

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Some no doubt will complain that the University of South Carolina spent $171,675 on a nationwide search for a new president -- only to choose someone already on campus. Ultimately, however, we think that is money well spent.

Harris Pastides, who was vice president for research and health sciences at USC, will take over as the new president, succeeding Andrew Sorenson. While the cost of the presidential search that led to Sorenson was higher than this year's, the university spent only $110,450 on the 1991 search that ended with the hiring of John Palms.

Much of that difference could have been the result of inflation in travel costs. The Dallas-based firm of William Funk and Associates considered more than 80 candidates from across the nation, flying many of them into Atlanta for interviews.

Officials with the firm said Atlanta was an easier destination for most of the candidates.

While the search ultimately settled on Pastides, the process gave the university a look at the talent available nationwide. A job of this statute no doubt attracted a considerably accomplished list of candidates.

Members of the search committee stressed that sifting through a long list of candidates was necessary to ensure they had the most qualified person. It also added stature to Pastides to have been selected from among more than 80 others.

In the long run, paying a little less than $200,000 to reassure faculty, alumni and students that the new president wasn't just arbitrarily picked out of a hat is a worthwhile investment.