The atmosphere inside a lecture hall at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Tuesday morning was as tense as a classroom during a grueling final exam, and for most of the hour and a half, forum attendees could not have heard a pin drop.

Some of the approximately 450 faculty, staff and students who attended either in-person or online to learn more about last week’s surprising announcement about who would be the next chancellor of UCCS acted infuriated, frustrated, disruptive and at times hostile and disrespectful.

University of Colorado President Todd Saliman appeared to take the questions and often harsh comments in stride.

Yet he admitted that while he expected anger and pushback over how the process played out and his decision to hire Interim Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet – who was not one of the two finalists he had named on Nov. 22 and therefore did not do campus interviews – facing the wrath of the audience was difficult.

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“I knew folks would be mad; I know you’re upset I didn’t ask you for your opinions,” he said. “I knew I would take hits, just like I’m doing now from all of you. This isn’t pleasant. I’m here to hear from you; I’m not enjoying it.

“I also knew if I didn’t act quickly, we’d be in a terrible position, facing another interim, another search,” he said. “At the end of the day, I felt I needed to make a decision to move the campus forward. I’m sticking with her (Sobanet), and she’s going to do a good job.”

Saliman fielded accusations of nepotism, not being forthcoming about what was going on, not taking into consideration feedback from faculty, staff and students, and not choosing someone who has a background in academia, as Sobanet has never taught at the university level and is not an academic researcher.

Philosophy Professor Robert “Rex” Welshon, who has worked at UCCS for 30 years, took the microphone and called the outcome “a breach of power.”

“It is really disturbing to allow a president to take all of the information prepared by the search committee and advice provided by the faculty and reject both candidates and go unilaterally,” Welshon said, adding that the campus is at a point of “widespread cynicism” fostered by “an administrator who overreaches the regents’ policy.”

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As some accused Saliman of dismissing their input, Saliman said he found that claim “offensive” and told the audience he was showing them the respect they deserved and asked for it in return.

“Don’t for a second think or say this in any way indicates that I don’t appreciate what you say,” he said.

More than 200 surveys were received for each of the two finalists, according to Chris Valentine, UCCS spokesman. Saliman said the comments were “super-mixed for both candidates,” and “did not indicate broad support for either to be successful.”

Saliman offered another feedback form for attendees to fill out Tuesday, which he said he realizes doesn’t carry the same weight as the one available during the finalists’ interviews. But he said the comments will be used to help set expectations for Sobanet to address campus needs and for her performance reviews.

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Saliman also took offense at being accused of nepotism in selecting Sobanet, who had been the interim chancellor since July 1 and was announced as permanent chancellor on Dec. 7.

A rumor that he had chosen Sobanet because she was good friends with his wife is false, he said. “This idea that I somehow hired her (Sobanet) because my wife pressured me to, that is nuts.”

The two aren’t close friends, he said, adding “To the folks who make up these stories I’d say ‘knock it off. It isn’t advancing the campus; it makes people hate each other.'”

Saliman has known Sobanet for years. Both worked as chief financial officers for different offices of the four-campus CU system and have crossed paths in other professional capacities, including lobbying state lawmakers.

“I absolutely did not hire her because she’s my friend, but because she’s doing an excellent job for UCCS, in addressing enrollment, the budget, morale and transparency,” Saliman said. “For me, the determining factor was her performance.

“Folks who think this was a shoo-in, that’s just not true,” he said. “I was certain one of the five people the search committee forwarded to me was going to be our next chancellor.”

Sobanet was not one of the five candidates an 18-member search committee sent to Saliman for consideration, he told the crowd.

But after he and the Board of Regents interviewed the recommended candidates and reviewed all the surveys, Saliman said it became clear to him that neither of the two finalists – while “outstanding and accomplished individuals” – were the right fit at this time for the leadership position.

“The process produced a result – the result was no candidate being chancellor,” he said. “It’s not perfect; the process is not perfect, I agree.”

Among the options he considered were to reopen a search, which he said would have been risky because a second go-round could produce a pool of candidates not of the same quality as the first.

Another search would have pushed out having a permanent chancellor in place for up to a year and a half, he said, continuing leadership instability during a time of declining enrollment, low retention rates, a budget crunch and poor morale.

It also would have been another expense, Saliman said. The contract with the search firm for its role in the process was $145,433, Valentine said.

Saliman said Sobanet had taken another job four hours before he called her with the unexpected offer of chancellorship – which he had not known. But she accepted his offer.

He said he also received unsolicited positive and negative feedback about Sobanet. 

Aidan Clark, student body vice president, said at the forum that he and student body President Axel Brown sent a letter to Saliman on behalf of students that said “overwhelmingly, students wanted Sobanet to be a finalist.”

“She’s the first chancellor to support students fully and make us excited to be here,” Clark said. “Students are really excited to work with her.”

After consulting with the university system’s legal office, Saliman said he realized the best candidate was Sobanet, adding that he followed “to the letter” the Board of Regents’ policy on hiring an upper-level administrator.

“Is this an ideal way to come about this? No, of course not,” he said. “I was disappointed like a lot of people that the process didn’t produce a finalist that was the right choice for UCCS.”

One audience member said: “Clearly, relationships are damaged. How are we going to get to a better place?”

“You’re mad at me about the process, and I’ll take that,” Saliman said. “But don’t be mad at her. Jennifer (Sobanet) is awesome. I hope you’ll work with her to move the campus forward. We have significant challenges and significant opportunities.”

After the forum ended, search committee member Jevita Rogers said, “The concerns were addressed, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

A search for a new chancellor at the CU Boulder campus is underway, with members of a committee selected and a search firm recruiting applicants, said Leonard Dinegar, senior vice president for internal operations and chief of staff for the CU system who led the UCCS search.

When asked about whether the CU Boulder process would end up in the same conundrum, Saliman said he’s never been a fan of the argument that once something happens, it will occur again in a similar situation.

“I will follow the policy, and I have faith that following the policy will produce a chancellor,” he said. “I was highly confident it would happen here. I’m highly confident it will at CU Boulder. I know that’s absolutely the expectation.”