Contact: Monty Jones, (512) 499-4363

Date: February 8, 1996

UT System News Release

Witt Named Only Finalist for U.T. Arlington Presidency

El Paso -- Robert E. Witt, who has served as interim president of the University of Texas at Arlington since June, was formally named Thursday (Feb. 8) as the sole finalist for the permanent appointment to the presidency.

The announcement of Witt as the only finalist for the position was made by Bernard Rapoport, chairman of the U.T. System's nine-member Board of Regents, during their meeting at U.T. El Paso. Rapoport said the Board plans a final vote on the appointment in a meeting via telephone by March 1.

"Dr. Witt has served with great distinction at U.T. Arlington, and he has rapidly gained the confidence of the entire campus community -- students, faculty, staff and alumni -- as well as the University's constituencies throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area," Rapoport said. "Everyone who has worked with him judges him to be the ideal leader for U.T. Arlington at this very challenging time in its history."

U.T. System Chancellor William H. Cunningham said he recommended that the Board advance Witt's candidacy after numerous expressions of support for him from the campus and the larger community.

"Bob Witt's tenure as interim president has been met with great enthusiasm at U.T. Arlington," Cunningham said. "He has amply demonstrated that he possesses all the attributes of wise academic leadership. His appointment as permanent president could not be more appropriate."

Thursday's announcement confirms action taken by the Board through a January 23 Executive Committee letter, which advanced Witt's candidacy and authorized appointment of a Special Advisory Committee to advise the Board on his candidacy.

Dr. James P. Duncan, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the U.T. System, said Witt had received strong support from the special committee, which included representatives of faculty, students, staff, alumni, the U.T. System administration, the University's external community and others.

The Regents' rules allow for appointment of such committees under the rare circumstances that the Board already has a candidate or candidates to advance for consideration. The special committee includes the same constituent groups as when a more extensive search is conducted.

"Given the very strong indications of support for Dr. Witt from various faculty, student and community leaders, Chairman Rapoport appointed the special committee on January 25," Duncan said. "In addition to meeting with the special committee, I met during the week of January 28 with student leaders, the Student Congress and the Faculty Senate to explain the process and to solicit written comments regarding the candidacy of President Witt. The response at these meetings could not have been more positive in support of Dr. Witt."

State law requires that finalists for a university presidency be announced at least 21 days before an appointment is made final by a vote of a board of regents. In this case, the 21-day period began with the January 28 campus meetings, at which it was announced that Witt was the only candidate.

Witt's interim appointment as U.T. Arlington president followed the resignation of President Ryan C. Amacher in March 1995.

Before last June, Witt was dean of the U.T. Austin College and Graduate School of Business. As a professor at U.T. Austin, he held the Centennial Chair in Business Education Leadership and the Betty and Glenn Mortimer Centennial Professorship. Witt, who is 55 years old, joined the U.T. Austin faculty as an assistant professor in 1968.