Lee Bollinger may have been an outsider to Harvard University when he became one of three finalists for its soon-to-be-vacant presidency, but in the rest of the academic world the University of Michigan president is well-known as someone who would likely have no trouble heading an Ivy League institution.
Many of Bollinger”s former colleagues, such as Dartmouth College Ethics Institute Director Ronald Green, said he can understand why any university would consider Bollinger a very attractive candidate.
Green, who worked closely with Bollinger at the Hanover, N.H., college, said Bollinger would enhance any academic environment, citing his time as Dartmouth”s provost from 1994 to 1996.
“Bollinger comes in with a kind of cool outside eye that brings a very fresh and critical point of view,” Green said. “His most significant quality as an academic administrator is his intellectual passion.”
Although Bollinger was not named as Harvard”s 27th president earlier this week, his name could appear on lists of candidates at any of five other high-profile institutions who will soon appoint new presidents.
Princeton University, Tufts University and Smith College are in the middle of search processes and Columbia University from which Bollinger holds a law degree and New York University have announced recently announced plans for searches following presidential resignations at both schools.
Officials at those institutions would not speculate on whether Bollinger may be among their candidates since the details of such proceedings are rarely publicized.
Princeton spokeswoman Marilyn Marks said the best way for a search to be conducted is by not disclosing details.
“We certainly don”t want to discourage any candidates from applying from any leaks in information. This is to ensure that we can get the best candidate for the position,” Marks said.
Bollinger has gained nationwide fame in the academic world since defending the admissions processes of the University of Michigan”s Law School and the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. A federal judge ruled in favor of the University in the latter case, and a decision is expected at any time in the Law School trial.
Edward Berger, Dartmouth”s dean of faculty of arts and sciences, explained Bollinger”s appeal as a president.
“Lee is a visionary and really understands the connectedness between the administrators, faculty and students within the college community,” Berger said.
Berger also said Bollinger has an eye for quality, which he uses to better an academic institution.
Berger said he experienced this first-hand when he worked under Bollinger as dean of graduate studies.
“Lee is an excellent judge of character. When he went to Michigan he recruited some of the best faculty and staff in the county,” he said.
Berger also added that it was “beyond a simple coincidence” that many of the people Bollinger recruited for the University of Michigan were from Dartmouth College.
“On one hand I admired and respected him for it and on another hand cursed him for it,” Berger said.