July 9 — Boston University administrators and faculty leaders said Wednesday they are excited about BU offering Daniel Goldin the presidency, and they expect some changes during the first few months of his term.
Executive Vice President Joseph Mercurio, who helped the Board of Trustees make their choice, said the new leader of any organization usually makes some changes and a new approach is often positive.
“That is what a fresh pair of eyes and new leadership bring to a new organization – it helps reinvigorate and revitalize,” he said.
Goldin was offered the job by BU’s Board of Trustees Tuesday afternoon. Goldin has 30 days to accept the position, and reports indicate Goldin and the trustees are still discussing the terms of an agreement.
Mercurio said BU’s top administrators will need to “do their best to bring [Goldin] up to speed” in their first few months under his watch. After that, it is the administration’s responsibility to follow his leadership, he said.
“I think the task of the executive team here is to adapt to the style of the new president, and we all serve at the pleasure of the president,” Mercurio continued. “He will set the tone, set the pace and the priorities.”
College of Communication professor Robert Zelnick, chairman of the school’s journalism department, said although BU did make a somewhat unorthodox decision to announce Goldin’s appointment before signing a contract with him, he is confident Goldin will take the job.
“There wouldn’t be an announcement if BU was not confident they would clinch the deal,” Zelnick said. “It would be an embarrassment for it to fall through the cracks. It puts Goldin in a strong bargaining position. If I were him, I’d feel pretty buoyant.”
Zelnick said he was “impressed” that the Board of Trustees unanimously selected Goldin.
School of Management dean Louis Lataif said Goldin’s first assignment will be to get a feel for BU and its students and staff.
“Anybody who takes on a big job has to be, in the early stages, a pretty good listener,” Lataif said. “You have to keep your antennae out and evaluate what you’ve inherited. He has to take some period of time to sort through what he’s got here.”
University Professors Program director Hans Kornberg called the Trustees’ selection a “novel departure for BU” because Goldin has never served in academia and does not have any graduate degrees. Still, Kornberg said he is hopeful Goldin can continue “the wise path” Chancellor John Silber has “trodden till now” in more than 30 years at BU.
After heading the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for more than eight years, Goldin has strong connections in Washington, D.C. and other areas important to science and engineering. Those connections are a “very positive thing” for the university and one of Goldin’s biggest strengths, Senior Vice President Richard Towle said.
College of Engineering dean David Campbell said he is upbeat about the school’s opportunities under Goldin, and ENG stands to gain from Goldin’s presidency.
“Goldin has connections to industries and foundations that we haven’t received grants from before,” Campbell said.
During the search process, Goldin told Campbell he wants to focus on making strides in the sciences and engineering at BU.
That prospect is also encouraging to new Faculty Council chairman Herbert Voigt, a professor in biomedical engineering. Though BU has always had strong liberal and fine arts, Voigt said Goldin can “add luster” to the school’s overall profile.
College of Arts and Sciences dean Jeffrey Henderson said despite Goldin’s scientific background, he is confident Goldin will give liberal arts schools the resources to make improvements. His appointment can “only be good news for CAS,” Henderson said in an e-mail.
Zelnick said based on Goldin’s relatively brief academic background, he should make his largest impacts on managerial issues – rather than academic ones – during the first few months of his job.
“He’s not going to come in with a huge academic splash,” Zelnick said. “He’s the type who is [good at] inspiring and managing organizations, treading through political minefields with some dexterity.
“He should begin by playing to his strengths and should observe academic types of things,” Zelnick added.
Former Faculty Council chairman William Skocpol, a CAS physics professor, said the new president will face the fairly large task of leading one of the largest private universities in the country.
“I think that, like any new president, he has a lot of learn about BU,” Skocpol said. “But I’ve been told he’s a quick study.”
Goldin’s experience managing large numbers of people during his time at NASA will likely be an asset in dealing with BU’s faculty and its concerns, Skocpol said. His time in government gave him “experience relating to a variety of constituencies,” Skocpol said.
School of Law dean Ronald Cass, who was one of three other people considered for the position, wished Goldin “a lot of success” and said, “It’s always an honor to be considered for office.” Provost Dennis Berkey, who was also considered, declined to comment yesterday.
Staff writer Dan Atkinson contributed to this report.
CORRECTION
In an article published in The Daily Free Press online on July 8, 2003, the Free Press reported Goldin worked for Gerald S. J. Cassidy. Goldin did not work for Cassidy, but Goldin, involved with the Council on Competitiveness, previously worked with Cassidy and Associates.
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