Walter Wendler appears set to become the next president of West Texas A&M University.
He’s a true-blue Aggie. His sons are Texas A&M grads. He’s worked with the flagship campus of the massive A&M University System.
That’s all I know. That’s all any of us know.
Why does that matter?
Well, past hiring practices for senior WTAMU administrators in recent years has gone a bit differently than this one has gone. WT often allows finalists to conduct what amounts to a public audition for the job. They meet with university organizations, such as student government officers and faculty senate officials; then they meet the public in meet-and-greet sessions. All of this gives interested and vested interest groups a chance to size up potential WT leaders.
Frankly, I prefer the old way.
Wendler has been presented by the Texas A&M University regents as the sole finalist for the job that was vacated by former WT President J. Pat O’Brien.
Wendler has a long career in post-secondary education administration — in Texas as well as at Southern Illinois University.
āWest Texas A&M University is a beautiful campus with a bright future,ā said Chancellor (John) Sharp. āI believe Walter Wendler will accelerate the universityās upward trajectory and make that future even brighter. I am glad he has agreed to serve in this important role, and I am honored to welcome him back to the Texas A&M family.ā
IsĀ he the right person for the job? The WT search committee, led by longtime Amarillo banking icon Don Powell, seems to think so. Powell is no slouch in determining the best course for WT or for the A&M System, for that matter, having once served as an A&M System regent.
Consider, too, the process that the Amarillo City Council used in selecting a new council member. It winnowed down a list of candidates to five finalists and then interviewed them in public.
In this era in which residentsĀ areĀ demandingĀ “transparency” at all levels of government, I believe WT — and the A&M System regents — could have servedĀ their constituents even better by presenting a longer list of finalists to the public than simply the lone survivor.