Burnt Orange Report

Dean Powers Named Finalist for UT President

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Bill Powers, dean of the School of Law, has been named the only finalist for UT president by UT System Chancellor Mark Yudof, the Texan is reporting. The regents will vote on the nominee in the next three weeks.

Powers was named dean of the UT law school in May of 2000, leaving the University of Washington School of Law. He was chair of the task force that explored curricular reform and suggested a new University College that would house all incoming freshman undergraduates before they entered a specific college of study. The regents interviewed possible candidates all day Friday before naming Powers as the sole finalist.

The Presidential Search Advisory Committee, chaired by Teresa Sullivan, System vice-chancellor for academic affairs, submitted candidates to the regents last week. Sullivan is married to law school associate Dean Douglas Laycock.

Powers was the only internal candidate submitted to the regents. Provost Sheldon Ekland-Olson and Liberal Arts Dean Richard Larivere were both often mentioned as possible finalists in the search for a new University president, but Larivere had previously denied that he was in the final running for the office. "[Powers] seems to be very good at bringing large groups together and sympathizing points of view," said Regents Chairman James Huffines.

If I remember correctly, I want to say it was due to Dean Powers that the University has included sexual orientation into its nondiscrimination clause, originally at the Law School because it was needed in order to move UT Law higher in National Rankings. I've tried to find reference to this online, does anyone remember this?