by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
David Schmidly was selected by the Board of Regents today as the next president of UNM.
The regents made the announcement after a three-hour closed meeting.
"I don't think we've ever had an incoming president as outstanding as Dr. Schmidly," Regent Don Chalmers said. "David Harris has been a great acting president, but we can really get things moving forward with David Schmidly."
Schmidly has been the president of the Oklahoma State University System since 2002.
At a meeting Tuesday, about 70 faculty members recommended Meredith Hay and Robert McGrath for president. The University had about 3,200 faculty members in 2005, according to the UNM Fact Book.
Jamie Koch, president of the board, said the faculty's vote will not hinder Schmidly.
"He's going to do just fine," he said. "It was only a small number of faculty, and I'm sure he'll get the support of everyone."
It takes 130 faculty members to establish a quorum.
After the faculty meeting with Schmidly that also took place Tuesday, 71 percent of the 83 faculty members who attended said he would make a good president.
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Daniel L¢pez and Herman Lujan were also competing for the job.
Koch said Schmidly will probably begin work at UNM after the semester ends at Oklahoma State.
Schmidly's salary will probably be about $450,000 per year, Koch said.
Schmidly's contract will be similar to former President Louis Caldera's, Koch said.
It will require a 120-day notice to fire the president instead of the one-year notice required in Caldera's, he said.
Caldera resigned in January 2006.
