Michael Renfrow stands alone

Thursday night, the sole student representative of the IU Presidential Search Committee listened to students' opinions of how decisions made by the next IU president will affect their daily lives.\nMichael Renfrow, a graduate student at IU-South Bend, was the centerpiece of an open discussion hosted by the IU Student Association. About 30 students, most of whom were IUSA representatives, turned out for the event.\nThursday was Renfrow's first trip to IU-Bloomington to talk publicly about the presidential search since his appointment to the committee.\nIU Student Trustee Casey Cox said IU needs an energetic president -- one who will walk from the Bryan House to Bryan Hall and meet students on campus. Renfrow said he agreed and said that the next president needs to have the energy to drive across the state to be visible at all campuses.\n"We need a candidate who is very forward-thinking," IUSA President Betsy Henke said.\nHenke said the next IU president needs to be business-minded to make IU a "lean institution." \nThe president must be able to make the University more efficient while also keeping students in mind, she said.\nThe next IU President must keep tuition rates as low as possible, said IUSA Vice President Andrew Lauck, because recent tuition increases continue to burden students. \nStrong athletics programs have helped carry IU's name as its academic programs have developed, Lauck said. Students at the forum told Renfrow the next IU president should recognize that athletics programs, like the men's basketball team, should be supported because they are a point of pride for the campus as well as citizens across the state. \nLauck said Renfrow is capable of fulfilling his duties during the search, though IUSA remains disappointed that the Bloomington campus is not represented on the search committee.\nIf he were in the position of IUSA's leaders, Renfrow said he would fight just as hard for a representative from Bloomington. He said the student body government has a responsibility to make its campus heard, and IUSA is doing a good job making that point.\nRenfrow introduced himself as a non-traditional student; he is 29 years old and married with two children. He spent four years in the Army as a signals intelligence analyst, translating radio communications in Farsi. Renfrow completed his undergraduate degree at IUSB and now works toward his Master's in Public Administration.\n"There is no one student that defines IU," Renfrow said. "Some are 18 years old and live on campus like here in Bloomington, some are 40 years old with kids."\nRenfrow said serving as the sole student representative on a search committee composed of administrators, faculty members and trustees would be a challenge for anyone, regardless of which IU campus they came from.\nThough he is the IUSB student body president, Renfrow said he will not focus only on his campus during the presidential search.\n"I came into the search with a blank slate and no preconceived notions," Renfrow said. "I'm leaving whatever I bring from one campus at the door."\nRenfrow said dialogue with students from all IU campuses will help him finalize a set of criteria for the student's ideal candidate. So far, concerns have been similar on all campuses.\n"Everyone wants the same thing," Renfrow said. "It's not as split as you might think."\nRenfrow said his experience in IU student government qualifies him for the position. He served as the IUSB student body president for about two years and also has served as the chair of the All University Student Association. During this time, he has worked with the board of trustees and three IUSA administrations.\nRenfrow said though he is a student, his previous experience with the board of trustees will give him credibility during the IU Presidential Search Committee meetings.\nThough Renfrow will be the only student directly involved with the search process, one other student will be involved in the final decision. Cox, a law student at IUB who sits on the board of trustees, will participate in the selection of the next IU president from the three to five candidates the search committee will recommend.\nThe trustees have created a Web site, www.indiana.edu/~nextpres/, that details the presidential search. Ideal qualifications have been outlined in a six-page job description drafted by the trustees. \nIU President Adam Herbert has announced he will resign when his contract expires July 31, 2008. If a replacement is found before that time, Herbert has said he will step down from the presidency and finish his contract while serving the University in another capacity.