May 01, 2009 04:08 AM UTC

Late-Introduced "No More Ben$ons" Act

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• by: Colorado Pols

We’ve talked a couple of times about the uncertainty over the search process for Colorado State University’s new “chancellor,” a position being carved out of the system independent of CSU’s campuses and based in Denver. In addition to fresh concerns from stakeholders over the speed, secrecy, and possible favoritism of usual suspect cronies in the CSU search, the situation reminds many of the controversial process that elevated GOP kingpin Bruce Benson to the Presidency of the University of Colorado.

Today, leadership from the House and Senate introduced a late bill that attempts to address these concerns, and from what we hear it’s being given as fast a track in the session’s closing days as the CSU search process. From the House Majority Office’s release this afternoon:

House Majority Leader Paul Weissmann and Senate Majority Leader Brandon Shaffer announced legislation today to bring openness, transparency and accountability to the selection of leaders of Colorado public colleges and universities.

“Now more than ever, our students deserve top notch leaders.  The people of Colorado should have trust and confidence in the leaders chosen to educate our children and prepare them for the jobs of the 21st century,” said Majority Leader Shaffer. “For Colorado to pick the right leaders for our colleges, we need the right process. We need a process that is open, transparent, accountable and inclusive.”

The legislation seeks to put into law basic requirements for the hiring process public colleges and universities use when choosing new leadership.   The bill requires schools to use search committees to advertise available leadership positions, develop job qualifications and to take ample time to make thoughtful decisions.

The legislation was in part prompted by concerns about the current search process at Colorado State University…

We mentioned previously key figures in the CSU chancellorship situation like Pat Grant and Joe Blake, who some say might have eyes on the job themselves–and at the very least are perfectly content, one can assume, with the backroom status quo. Since these guys can deploy armies of pushy lobbyists, subtly threatening donors and other forms of pressure on legislators with a couple of phone calls, this last-minute bill could get red hot in the couple of days it’s legally permitted to.