Student Issue, 1989—Secrecy of the Search for a New Chancellor

President Alexander appointed a 21-member search committee, chaired by Dr. John Prados, vice president for academic affairs, to identify candidates for a successor to Dr. Jack Reese as chancellor of UT Knoxville. In January 1989 the Daily Beacon expressed the general student complaint that the committee was acting in secret in violation of the Tennessee Opening Meetings Law. In March the names of three finalists were released. They were Albert W. Niemi Jr., dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Georgia; John J. Quinn, dean of the faculty at Brown University; and Joan K. Wadlow, provost at the University of Oklahoma. Alexander indicated that he wanted the job filled by July 1. The Daily Beacon complained that of the 70 applicants for the position, only one was in the final three—the other two were solicited inclusions outside the regular process. One, Niemi, withdrew after visiting with the search committee. President Alexander selected John Quinn.