In an official vote by the Faculty Senate, two-thirds of respondents favor presidential candidate Carlos Santiago and more than 80 percent think the next UNM president should have experience as an educator and academic scholar.
Beverly Burris, president of UNM's Faculty Senate, said 30 senators responded to the three-part survey.
In the Senate's e-mail survey, respondents were asked to consider and agree or disagree with a statement saying that they strongly disagree with the idea that the next president need not have experience as an educator and a scholar. Twenty-five respondents agreed with the statement, two disagreed and three abstained.
Senator Byron Lindsey said faculty members' views have not been sufficiently incorporated into the search and that they have no idea how the regents are weighing their opinion about presidential candidates
Lindsey, an associate professor of foreign languages and literature, said the lack of faculty input in the design of the presidential search has been "perfectly absurd."
The second component of the survey listed each of the candidates and asked senators to mark them as acceptable or unacceptable.
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Larry Penley received eight votes of acceptable and 11 votes of unacceptable. Edward Ray received 13 votes of acceptable and five as unacceptable. Twenty senators voted Santiago as acceptable and one voted him unacceptable. Three senators voted Linda Bunnell Shade as acceptable and 16 voted her unacceptable. Louis Caldera received three votes for acceptable and 17 as unacceptable.
Burris said it is very rare for a university president not to have an academic background and that UNM's faculty members have concerns about how such a president would run the University.
Caldera has never been a tenured faculty member or taught in a university classroom. During a visit to campus in early April, Caldera said he saw his role as a president to be more externally oriented.
"Makes one fear there would be a disconnect with the faculty and the heart of the institution," Lindsey said.
The final part of the survey asked senators to list their first choice for presidency and Santiago, with 83 percent, was the overwhelming selection among respondents.
Also receiving votes were Caldera with one, Ray with 6 and Bunnell Shade with one.
UNM Reg. James Koch said wondering why faculty members did not raise those concerns before when they had an opportunity.
"It sort of puzzles me that all of a sudden now you've got the Faculty Senate saying they are not qualified," Koch said. "I really question what their motive is."
Koch said he understands the Senate's need to have a president who can teach, but that it is also important to have a president who is experienced with fundraising and working with the state's Legislature.
"I will agree that Louis Caldera hasn't taught," said Koch, who attended every candidate's forum.
He added that faculty is only one of many constituencies regents must consider when selecting the president.
Despite the perceived lack or sufficient amount of faculty input into the presidential search process, Lindsey said he feels the survey gives an accurate insight into the opinion of the faculty.
"It pretty well represents the entire faculty," Lindsey said.
Koch said the University community should expect the regents' presidential announcement some-time between May 13-22.
