Union director candidates due to visit

By Melissa Prentice

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Starting today, new faces from student unions around the country will come to the campus with hopes of heading the UA Student Union.

Interim Student Union Director Mike Low is not among the four finalists who will compete for the about $60,000-per-year position, which has been open since Bob Ernstein resigned in March 1994 after a task force issued a report critical of the state of the Student Union.

A committee narrowed the pool of about 50 candidates to 10 people by reviewing their resum‚s and speaking with their references and people on the campuses where they work, said Dean of Students Melissa Vito. Vito, who will supervise the director and who has final say in the selection, was not involved in the committee.

The 10 final candidates were mailed copies of the March 1994 Student Union Task Force report and were asked to respond in writing how they would deal with the union's financial and physical problems that were outlined in the report, Vito said.

Qualifications for the position include experience with food service, privitization, renovation and remodelling, budgeting, staff management and working with students, she said. The job announcement also describes an ideal candidates as having at least seven years experience working at a university student union and having a master's degree in business administration or food service.

Low, who has worked at the union in various positions since 1974, said not being a finalist for the position is "a great personal disappointment," but he said he hopes the best director will be chosen.

He and other union staff members will meet with each candidate when they come to Tucson.

At 4 p.m. today, the public can meet with Edward Slazinik, the director of the Illini Union at the University of Illinois, in the Arizona Senior Ballroom. Faculty can meet with Slazinik at 11 a.m. in the same ballroom.

The other finalists will visit the UA on the following days:

ù Bruce Zimmerman, from the University of Southern Colorado, on Thursday, March 2.

ù Daniel Adams, from West Virginia University, on Monday, March 6.

ù Sam Wheeler, from Northern Arizona University, on Monday, March 27.

All the candidates will hold forums for faculty and the public.

Petri Darby, a media arts senior and member of the selection committee, has formed a student panel comprised of student repre-

sentatives from various student organizations including the Interfraternity Council, the Undergraduate Senate, the Graduate and Professional Student Council and the Residence Hall Association.

The students will hold separate forums with each candidate and will issue "the students' choice" to Vito before the final decision is made, Darby said.

Everyone attending the candidates' forums will be asked to submit comments to the committee members, who will also meet with each candidate. The committee will then give Vito recommendations of which candidates they think are qualified.

Vito said she will make a final decision by early April.

Read Next Article