Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Another Law Dean Becomes Prez
Texas Wesleyan University announced the appointment of Frederick G. Slabach as its new President, effective in January. Slabach is the former dean of Texas Wesleyan and former interim dean at Whittier. People often remark that decanal experience in a law school is good training for a university president. Certainly the fundraising expectations are similar. But I'd guess that many have blind spots - especially around issues of outside funding. Research funding issues are both practical and cultural and I'm guessing that faculty outside law schools get very nervous about a president who has little experience in these matters. That said, law deans have succeeded and garnered wide support in even the most science-y of schools: think Lew Collens.
http://leiterlawschool.typepad.com/leiter/2010/11/another-law-dean-becomes-prez.html