Like many others around the Mahoning Valley, we are left frustrated and wondering what the Youngstown State University Board of Trustees must have been thinking in recent days when these officials suddenly and inexplicably ignored the value of and need for transparency in their search for a new president to lead this public university.

With zero public discussion prior to the emergency special meeting announced just about two hours in advance, the university board of trustees voted 8-1 Thursday to offer the presidency to U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson. Trustee Molly Seals cast the only “no” vote.

Since then, negotiations apparently have been underway in earnest. If a deal has been reached, it could be voted upon as early as this afternoon, when another special board meeting has been scheduled.

It gets worse.

The university is so ingrained in its fight against transparency that it has refused this newspaper’s public record request for the resumes of all who applied for the position.

Unlike previous YSU presidential searches, the candidates and finalists for this post never were announced publicly nor brought to the university for interviews and forums with campus groups. YSU denied a request Monday from this newspaper for the applicants’ resumes with Becky Rose, university spokeswoman, telling our reporter “the university does not have records responsive to this request.”

Rose cited a 2003 Ohio Supreme Court decision in which The Cincinnati Enquirer sued that city’s board of education to get resumes and documents related to a school superintendent search. That school used an outside firm for the selection process. All documentation was reviewed by school board members in executive session and then returned to the applicants except one who agreed to leave it with the board.

After that superintendent was hired, the school district provided the Enquirer with only materials submitted by the person hired and the finalist who left his documents with the school board. The board didn’t provide any other materials to the newspaper because it didn’t have them. The Supreme Court unanimously sided with the school district.

Like that case, this situation also begs the question: what is there to hide? If Johnson truly is the best candidate for this position, then trustees should not be so dead set against sharing how well he stacked up against other applicants.

Public outcry has been justifiably significant.

A protest was staged Monday on campus. Also Monday, the university’s Student Government Association issued a formal resolution expressing dissatisfaction that, in part, “students were not included in this decision-making process by the Board of Trustees whatsoever.”

The YSU-Ohio Education Association faculty union also immediately protested the selection of Johnson and the lack of transparency.

And a letter and petition signed by some 2,300 alumni and community members denounced the selection.

“The Board’s refusal to incorporate the greater YSU community in its decision making flouts basic values of transparency, accountability, and democratic participation,” the letter states. It was delivered Monday to the board via email.

Much of the criticism of the opaque process was coupled with criticism of Bill Johnson’s conservative positions in Congress.

“The fact that Johnson’s positions are highly contentious — and directly relevant to the diverse interests and identities of YSU’s student body — increases the need for public vetting of his candidacy,” the letter states.

Michael Peterson, chairman of the YSU trustees, however, said Congressman Johnson “is a strong, innovative, servant leader who we believe will be well positioned to guide the university as we take charge of our future. … I am excited for the offer. I am excited for the future of YSU and for the future of our students.”

If that is true, and indeed it may be the case, then why so much secrecy?

Undoubtedly, a broader discussion would stand to raise questions about things like each candidate’s position on issues, management style and breadth of knowledge. It would have only helped in the conversation and decision by opening the door to a community discussion that might not have brought to light points otherwise overlooked in this opaque and closed-door decision.

So much could have been gained, and nothing lost except some time.

The letter drafted by YSU alumni and signed by 2,300 alumni, students and community members, described the situation well.

“The Board’s choice to unilaterally move forward with no community input is fundamentally undemocratic in a moment that calls for more, not less, stakeholder participation. Simply, these recent events are beneath YSU.”

We agree and we call on the YSU Board of Trustees to release the resumes of all applicants for this public position and to halt this hiring process in order to invite the three finalists to participate in public discussion before a decision is finalized.

editorial@vindy.com