FAYETTEVILLE -- Former University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Chancellor Dan Ferritor will serve as interim chancellor for the campus after the July 31 retirement of Chancellor G. David Gearhart, the University of Arkansas System announced Thursday.
Ferritor said he'll stay on in the role until a permanent chancellor arrives, but he predicted he won't be occupying his former office for long.
"Probably July to December," said Ferritor, 75, who postponed plans to retire from the system at the end of March. "I just simply couldn't turn down the opportunity to take on this last, final project."
UA System President Don Bobbitt named Ferritor to the position.
For an interim appointment, "you're looking for someone who isn't going to have a steep learning curve," Bobbitt said. "There just simply isn't time to be a rookie."
Bobbitt praised Ferritor's devotion to the university over a lengthy career, most recently in a part-time role with the UA System.
"I've benefited from his experience and wisdom, so I know what he brings to that campus. But the second thing is, in talking to various individuals confidentially about what my plan might be, I got an overwhelming sense of support for him to assume this role," Bobbitt said.
He also said he wanted to avoid having an interim chancellor with interest in the permanent position.
"That can discourage external people from applying," Bobbitt said.
Ferritor said he's looking forward to meeting with the faculty, the staff and students.
"I see my role as a bridge between the really strong work that Chancellor Gearhart did and the excellent work that I know the incoming person's going to do," Ferritor said.
He said he has already begun thinking about the needed appointment of an interim provost to fill the role of the departing Sharon Gaber, UA's provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Gaber is departing UA after this academic year to become president of the University of Toledo in Ohio.
"We will make it by May," Ferritor said of the interim provost appointment.
He said the next chancellor will select a permanent provost, so the interim provost likely will continue in a leadership role longer than the interim chancellor.
"As we get a list of people, I'm sure we'll consult with others on campus and get other people's input," Ferritor said.
Ferritor served as UA's top leader for 11 years from 1986-1997. He notably led the university during fundraising for a project to renovate Old Main. The oldest campus building, it had been closed for safety reasons.
Ferritor returned to UA's sociology department as a professor. Contrary to a 2005 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article reporting retirement plans, he later continued working for the UA System.
Most recently, he's worked part time as vice president of learning technologies for the UA System. He's also been involved in the coming launch of the UA System's eVersity, a new online-only university expected to enroll its first students in the fall.
"I think he's approachable, and he certainly knows the university," said John Rupe, chairman of UA's faculty senate. "And he's been working with Bobbitt up in Little Rock and he understands what Bobbitt has in mind, so I think that's helpful."
Ferritor lives in Fayetteville, and he said he will remain in his home rather than move into the Wallace W. and Jama M. Fowler House, which serves as the UA chancellor's residence. Bobbitt said he has not yet discussed pay with Ferritor, who in his position with the UA System earned $87,872 annually.
"We haven't talked about it, but I would say I need to compensate him similarly to people who are doing this job. Whether you're interim or not, you're doing a very difficult job," Bobbitt said.
Gearhart earns $339,010 annually.
Ferritor said he first spoke with Bobbitt roughly a month ago about the interim position when Bobbitt wanted to know some names of people who might be a good fit for the role.
In sharing his thoughts with Bobbitt, "my name wasn't on that list," Ferritor said. But when Bobbitt asked him if he would consider the role, he said, he responded that he would talk it over with his wife of 53 years, Patsy.
"You can't pass up an opportunity to be able to work with the university. This is plum stuff. These are good people, I can't overemphasize that," Ferritor said.
He said he has been in touch with Gearhart since the appointment. Ferritor said Gearhart's been a friend about 30 years.
"We've exchanged emails, and he sent me a note saying congratulations," Ferritor said. "And we're trying to get together to visit and talk to one another in the next couple of days."
Gearhart announced in January plans to retire. A search firm, Greenwood/Asher and Associates Inc., has been selected to recruit candidates and verify their credentials. Ferritor said he will not be on the yet-to-be-named search committee that will review candidates. Bobbitt will make the final hiring decision for the next chancellor.
"There's lots of unknowns in a search like this," Bobbitt said. But he contrasted UA's "rapid, upward trajectory" under Gearhart's leadership with the circumstances at schools that have a lengthy, protracted leadership search.
"Usually there's some issue in the state or institution that make convincing someone to take it on something of a challenge," Bobbitt said. "That doesn't exist here. This is a wonderful opportunity and a faculty that's solidly behind the administration, plus there's the financial situation in the state and at the institution which is very sound."
Metro on 04/03/2015