SURVEY SAYS: LOVE HIM, HATE HIM

It's far from a scientific poll, but a questionnaire for CU faculty, students and others reveals no lack of opinion about Benson.

Berny Morson and Hector Gutierrez

Published February 16, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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Members of the University of Colorado community overwhelmingly reject Bruce Benson as the school's next president in a questionnaire.

"Grotesquely inappropriate," "appalling," "disastrous" and "for shame" are among the responses to an open-ended question about whether Benson, the sole finalist for president, would be an effective leader.

Supporters described him as committed to education and cited his fundraising for CU and other education causes.

At the Boulder campus, about 530 people offered negative comments about Benson, versus 70 who supported his candidacy for president. Thirty were neutral or undecided.

The tally is inexact because some comments could be interpreted in different ways.

Benson did better at three other CU campuses, but fewer people responded at those locations, which are smaller than the Boulder campus.

In Colorado Springs, 56 respondents wrote negative comments and 49 were supportive. At the Denver campus, supportive comments outnumbered negative ones, 39-30.

The questionnaire was available at forums where Benson met with faculty and staff members, students and people from the community, including alumni. People also could respond online.

Respondents didn't have to give their names.

The survey is not the same as a scientifically conducted poll because respondents were not selected at random. They chose to participate.

CU officials released the comments late Friday.

Benson could not be reached for comment.

Regent Pat Hayes, who chairs the nine-member board, said she hadn't yet read the comments. She said regents would take the survey results into account in deciding whether to appoint Benson.

She also noted that Benson has received heavy support from outside CU.

The regents will vote Wednesday on whether to appoint Benson to succeed President Hank Brown, who is retiring.

Many of the survey comments cited the oil company executive's and past state Republican Party chairman's business and political connections as reasons to oppose him.

"We are a liberal, environmentally conscious campus and Bruce Benson does not represent who we are," one student wrote.

"I don't think the university should hire someone who is obviously extremely conservtive," a Boulder staff member wrote.

"He would say to students, 'The university values entrepreneurship and moneymaking over scholarship and discovery,' " a faculty member wrote.

Benson has emphasized that his business skills could help CU dig its way out of a deep financial hole.

One faculty member agreed: "Sounds like he's the perfect person for the job. Don't understand the closed minds of people who are supposed to be educated and smart."

Wrote another: "He is a superb candidate - the right person at the right time."

Experts said presidential candidates with nontraditional backgrounds have faced similar resistence at other campuses.

Those who survive are not only good at fundraising, but at reaching out to the faculty.

"It is really learning a new culture and a new way of doing business," said Clair Van Ummersen, a vice president at the Washington, D.C.-based American Council on Education and the head of the groups Center for Effective Leadership, which works with college administrators.

What faculty and students think

BOULDER CAMPUS

Negative530

Supportive70

COLORADO SPRINGS CAMPUS

Negative56

Supportive49

DENVER CAMPUS

Negative30

Supportive39

SAMPLING OF NEGATIVE RESPONSES

* "I think he would be an inadequate president. He does not have a background that suggests he properly knows how to run a learning campus, rather it seems he wants to make the school a business.

"I don't feel he would serve my best interests as president."

CU student

* "I believe that Mr. Benson would be too divisive of a figure to lead CU. He seems to be motivated by ideology and politics, rather than reason and a passion for learning."

CU student

* "I am worried that he does not possess the necessary leadership skills. He seems that he would be good at fundraising. But the presidency is much more than just raising money."

UCCS faculty

* "Bruce Benson does not share my views about sustainable development and academic freedom. I for one think he should be removed from consideration."

UCCS student

* "Sadly, the longer this continues the more unsuitable Mr. Benson shows himself to be as the president of our university. Let's hire him as our fundraiser, not our president.

"Perhaps there is a position for him at the CU Foundation (I am quite serious about this suggestion)."

CU faculty SAMPLING OF POSITIVE RESPONSES

* "After looking through Mr. Benson's resume and listening to his conference I believe that Mr. Benson would be a great leader for the university.

"I believe that Mr. Benson answered all of the questions that were asked of him fully and properly."

CU student

* "I feel that he will be able to lead the university against any budget cuts that may be in the near future.

"I feel that through his contacts, he will be able to use his political clot(sic) to take CU to new levels while others fall behind during struggling economic times."

UCCS student

* "He has the potential to be an excellent CU president.

"He's the right guy at the right time with the right leadership experience in education, politics and business.

"I have worked fairly closely with him on a board for the past six years.

"He is conscientious, committed and energetic.

"I am a tenured full professor and believe he's the right guy at the right time for CU."

CU faculty

• February 16, 2008

  6:55 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  raoul writes:

  "CU officials released the unscientific and anonymous comments Friday".

  And the Rocky Mountain News makes this trash news on Saturday.

  Hey Benson: To He_l with CU, they don't deserve you.

• February 16, 2008

  9:48 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  cheeser writes:

  I was always under the impression that college was to open the minds of individuals. However, this group would only be satisfied if a democrat was put into place. Looks like a lot of closed minds from the students and faculty of CU that don't support Benson.

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