The Seattle Times editorial about open selection of leaders at the University of Washington does everyone a disservice. You undermine faith in the UW, its board and its president, while offering no substantive reason your approach would produce a better result.
Your opinion takes as an article of faith that an open hiring process is better, yet you rightly state Ana Mari Cauce is “an impressive president thus far.” You offer no evidence open hiring would have produced a better result, or open hiring, in general, produces better results.
Members of the UW board of directors are responsible for hiring the president. They are well qualified for this job. They have shown wisdom and judgment in their past decisions. The argument that the best candidates will not make themselves available if they are publicly known is completely reasonable.
As a newspaper you have a vested interest in an open process. The UW board of directors has the job of finding the best president.
Most Read Opinion Stories
Steve Rolfe, Bellevue