Young will stay at UF for now

The man who has been the university's interim president says he will stay on a part-time basis with reduced pay.

By BARRY KLEIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 27, 2000

Charles Young will remain as interim president at the University of Florida on a part-time basis, but he said Tuesday he hopes eventually to take the permanent job.

In a conference call, Young told reporters he still can't commit to anything beyond interim status because of his wife's health.

Sue Young is battling breast cancer, and though she has been doing better in recent weeks -- "miraculously better," said Young, who recently returned from a trip to France with his wife of 50 years -- he said there are still many uncertainties.

If Young, 68, does take the permanent job, the former UCLA chancellor said he would stay in Gainesville for no more than two years.

Meanwhile, an agreement announced Tuesday calls for Young to work a "three-quarter" schedule, with a corresponding reduction in pay from $250,000 annually to $187,500.

Since taking over for former UF President John Lombardi in November, Young has been spending much of his time in Southern California, where his wife is receiving medical treatment.

Young said he asked for the pay reduction to "remove any questions" about the relationship between his salary and time spent on the job.

Young's decision, and apparent willingness to serve longer if at all possible, is a big relief for the state Board of Regents.

This year, the board suffered the indignity of watching six finalists for the UF presidency remove their names from consideration.

Officials involved in the search said much of the disarray was caused by the state Legislature's decision to abolish the Regents, Florida's higher education governing board since 1965, and replace them with local boards of trustees.

That change is scheduled to happen in 2003, which is why the board is eager to sign Young to a two-year hitch. Several regents have said it will be at least that long before they can conduct a successful search.

Young said Tuesday there is no timetable for his decision on the permanent job: "It could be very soon. It could be some time," he said from his home in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

University system Chancellor Adam Herbert said he is confident Young eventually will say yes.

He noted that Regents Chairman Tom Petway decided Tuesday to disband the two search committees assigned to find a permanent leader for the state's oldest and largest university.

"I think that sends a message" about Young's future at UF, Herbert said.

The news about Young was well-received in Gainesville, where faculty, students and administrators have been impatient about the long delay in the selection of a new president.

"He's terrific," said interim UF Provost David Colburn, the school's No. 2 official. "There are few people in this country who have a better perspective on higher education."

The faculty also supports Young's hiring, said Joseph Layon, an anesthesiology professor and chairman of the University Senate.

"He recognizes that to become an outstanding university, you have to have faculty involved not just in teaching and research but in overall administration," he said.

Layon warned, however, that many members of the faculty are unhappy that Young essentially has been offered the presidency without their input.

"We oppose a process that imposes a president on a university," he said.

Young, who was considered one of the nation's top academic administrators during the years he built UCLA into a research powerhouse, said he thinks UF is on "the cusp of becoming a great university."

"I think it can get there in a limited number of years, and I think my talents, background and experience can greatly help," he said. "That's a challenge that's hard not to accept."

Young said his first priority will be to fill the many high-ranking positions at UF currently held by interim administrators.

He hinted broadly that he will soon name Colburn the permanent provost. He said other positions, including the vice president for academic affairs and several deanships, will be named as soon as possible.

The only interim position he won't be filling is that of the law school dean. Young said he needs interim dean Jon Mills to stay on board to deal with racial issues that have divided the faculty.

After a tense meeting last month over the issue of racial diversity in future hiring, the law school's highest-ranking black administrator resigned in protest and Mills ordered an investigation into the racial climate.

Mills has said he wants the investigation completed within 30 days.

Young said he does not expect his part-time schedule to hinder his effectiveness as a campus leader. When not in Gainesville, he said he will rely on the telephone, e-mail and video-conferencing to manage the university.

He has received high praise for his fundraising ability. With his considerable help, UF recently exceeded the $750-million goal for its capital campaign.

"Donors do want to know who the chief guy is and it has to be somebody they respect and have confidence in," said Paul Robell, UF's vice president for development and alumni affairs. "They have that with Chuck Young."

- Times Staff Writer Shelby Oppel and correspondent Beth Kassab contributed to this report.

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