ODU picks interim head Broderick as 8th president

NORFOLK

After serving as acting president for almost a year, John Broderick received a unanimous vote from Old Dominion University's Board of Visitors Monday to become its eighth president.

Broderick, 52, has worked at the university for more than 15 years, formerly as a vice president and chief of staff for Roseann Runte, who left ODU last summer for a similar post at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

Broderick was not officially in the running for ODU's top job. He had not been included on earlier short lists, and as a member of the search committee to find a new president, he was prohibited from being a candidate. He also had no previous experience as a college president.

But Broderick said Monday that when he took the job last June, he didn't see himself as simply a placeholder.

"I didn't let the interim-acting get in the way of what I was doing," he said.

Broderick was told about two weeks ago that he was being considered for the job. His appointment was effective immediately and he will receive $312,000 annually, a $30,000 increase from his salary as acting president. His contract will run through June 2011.

The first search for a new president ended last August, but the ODU board could not reach agreement on a replacement for Runte and the process was suspended.

Board members said Monday that Broderick proved himself during his year as interim president. He navigated the school through a series of state funding cuts, and he gathered university, city and community support to address a rise in off-campus crime. More police patrols and security measures have been put into place.

ODU Board Rector Ross Mugler said he was most impressed that Broderick took on the issue of ODU's rapid growth, which many

have said has outpaced the faculty and the infrastructure of the campus. ODU has more than 23,000 students and roughly 2,500 faculty and staff.

Last summer, Broderick commissioned an enrollment management plan, which formed committees across campus to look at ODU's programs, practices and policies. Broderick said one of the results was the idea to slow its future enrollment, concentrating on making the university better, not bigger. The plan has been praised by students and faculty.

Chandra de Silva, dean of the college of arts and letters, said Broderick began discussions about the future of the university and visited other colleges asking for ideas.

"When we wrote to him, he responded to us individually and thanked us," de Silva said. "It's not only listening to ideas but it's showing that you did listen and care."

De Silva also said Broderick also doesn't mind telling you want he thinks.

"John will tell you if he agrees with you or not," de Silva said. "I prefer that to someone who fudges."

Broderick is considered a consensus builder with a personable leadership style. He is known for his ability to work the halls of the General Assembly for more support for ODU.

He also likes being in the trenches. He continues to teach a graduate education class and coaches youth soccer.

Broderick says that as president, he will continue what he's started: pushing transparency in how the university works and how it plans to move forward. He said the school has great stories to tell and wants everyone from students to business leaders to be ambassadors for ODU.

"Advocacy is not a one-person operation," he said.

Jennifer Le, a rising junior at ODU, said she's known Broderick since her freshman year. She said she appreciates his friendly nature, and that he invites students to talk to him if they have problems.

"He did a lot as an acting president," she said, "and I look forward to seeing what he does as president."

Broderick is a native of Bristol, Conn. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northeastern University in Boston and a master's in education from St. Bonaventure University in New York. After college, he was a reporter for small newspapers in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

He taught at the University of Pittsburgh and was an administrator at St. Bonaventure before coming to ODU in 1993 as director of public information. In 1996, he was promoted to vice president for institutional advancement and admissions. He was named chief of staff in 2003.

Broderick is married and lives in Chesapeake. He has three sons and a granddaughter.

Denise Watson Batts, (757) 446-2504, denise.batts@pilotonline.com