Adam Herbert
Encyclopedia
Adam William Herbert, Jr. (born December 1, 1943) is an American retired academic administrator. He served as President of the University of North Florida
from 1989–1998, as Chancellor of the State University System of Florida
from 1998–2001, and as President of Indiana University
from 2003–2007. He was the first African-American to hold any of these positions. He announced his retirement from Indiana University in 2007, and was succeeded by Michael McRobbie
.
, Herbert earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science)1966) and a Master of Public Administration (1968) from the University of Southern California
. He earned his Ph.D. in urban affairs and public administration from the University of Pittsburgh
in 1971.
Herbert has held academic appointments in political science and public administration at the University of North Florida
; Florida International University
, where he was dean of the School of Public Affairs and Services and vice president for academic affairs; the University of Southern California
; Howard University
; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
(Virginia Tech); and the University of Pittsburgh
. He is a member of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and has served two terms as a member of its board of trustees. His research focuses on the politics of higher education and on the policy, political and administrative challenges of enhancing public education from pre-kindergarten through higher education, with particular emphasis on issues that impact low income and minority communities.
In 1974, he became one of 15 White House Fellows
in the Ford Administration. He served as special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. Following the fellowship year he served as special assistant to the U.S. Undersecretary of Housing and Urban Development and subsequently as director of research for the Joint Center for Political Studies in Washington, DC.
Herbert served as president of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. He is a member of the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and chaired the National Collegiate Athletic Association
's Division II Presidents Council. He was chair of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce in 1993. He has served as a Florida Commissioner on the Education Commission of States and is a member of the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission.
and founding executive director of the influential Florida Center for Public Policy and Leadership. He served as president of the university from 1989-1998. From 1998 to 2000, Herbert was the sixth chancellor of the State University System of Florida
, the second-largest university system in America. Although Herbert's tenure in this position was highly received, outsiders argued that Florida's higher education is top heavy and does not value faculty governance. His later critics would argue this became apparent during his leadership of Indiana University
.
In 1998, Governor-Elect Jeb Bush
named Adam Herbert to lead his transition team. That same year John Lombardi
, then the president of the University of Florida
, referred to Herbert as an "Oreo": black on the outside and white on the inside. Herbert was criticized for failing to fight to save the Board of Regents in 2000 when Gov. Bush and Republican lawmakers dismantled the board after it refused to approve a medical school at Florida State University
. With no palatable job left after the university system was disassembled, he landed a newly created $240,000 job at the University of North Florida
. In 2002 Herbert served as co-chair of Governor Bush's Reading Priority Transition Team for Florida.
would educate the professionals, executives and researchers while the regional campuses would educate the labor force. Advocates believe it will rejuvenate Indiana's economy while critics argue it betrays the university's mission of educating more of Indiana's populace.
Herbert's initiative was further complicated by his failure to fill top administrative posts. After Chancellor Sharon Brehm resigned, Herbert left the position unfilled for over two years. He disregarded the search committee's recommendations and began the search anew. These problems prompted controversy among faculty members. Ongoing obligations as director of two out-of-state companies required time away from IU responsibilities.
Herbert is currently serving in the transition team of Mayor-elect of Jacksonville Alvin Brown
.
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
from 1989–1998, as Chancellor of the State University System of Florida
State University System of Florida
The State University System of Florida is a system of eleven public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2011, over 320,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities...
from 1998–2001, and as President of Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
from 2003–2007. He was the first African-American to hold any of these positions. He announced his retirement from Indiana University in 2007, and was succeeded by Michael McRobbie
Michael McRobbie
Michael McRobbie is the eighteenth president of Indiana University. He took office on July 1, 2007.Before his appointment as president, McRobbie served as interim provost and vice president of academic affairs of the Bloomington campus. Prior to this, he held the position of vice president for...
.
Vita
Born in Muskogee, OklahomaMuskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
, Herbert earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science)1966) and a Master of Public Administration (1968) from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He earned his Ph.D. in urban affairs and public administration from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in 1971.
Herbert has held academic appointments in political science and public administration at the University of North Florida
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
; Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
, where he was dean of the School of Public Affairs and Services and vice president for academic affairs; the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
; Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
(Virginia Tech); and the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. He is a member of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and has served two terms as a member of its board of trustees. His research focuses on the politics of higher education and on the policy, political and administrative challenges of enhancing public education from pre-kindergarten through higher education, with particular emphasis on issues that impact low income and minority communities.
In 1974, he became one of 15 White House Fellows
White House Fellows
The White House Fellows program was established by President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964. President Johnson articulated that the mission of the program was "to give the Fellows first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the federal government and to increase...
in the Ford Administration. He served as special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. Following the fellowship year he served as special assistant to the U.S. Undersecretary of Housing and Urban Development and subsequently as director of research for the Joint Center for Political Studies in Washington, DC.
Herbert served as president of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. He is a member of the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and chaired the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division II Presidents Council. He was chair of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce in 1993. He has served as a Florida Commissioner on the Education Commission of States and is a member of the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission.
Leadership in Florida
Herbert served as Regents Professor at the University of North FloridaUniversity of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
and founding executive director of the influential Florida Center for Public Policy and Leadership. He served as president of the university from 1989-1998. From 1998 to 2000, Herbert was the sixth chancellor of the State University System of Florida
State University System of Florida
The State University System of Florida is a system of eleven public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2011, over 320,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities...
, the second-largest university system in America. Although Herbert's tenure in this position was highly received, outsiders argued that Florida's higher education is top heavy and does not value faculty governance. His later critics would argue this became apparent during his leadership of Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
.
In 1998, Governor-Elect Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
named Adam Herbert to lead his transition team. That same year John Lombardi
John V. Lombardi
John Vincent Paul Maher Lombardi is an American university professor and administrator. Lombardi currently serves as the president of the Louisiana State University System, a position he has held since 2007. He is a native of California, and earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees...
, then the president of the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, referred to Herbert as an "Oreo": black on the outside and white on the inside. Herbert was criticized for failing to fight to save the Board of Regents in 2000 when Gov. Bush and Republican lawmakers dismantled the board after it refused to approve a medical school at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
. With no palatable job left after the university system was disassembled, he landed a newly created $240,000 job at the University of North Florida
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
. In 2002 Herbert served as co-chair of Governor Bush's Reading Priority Transition Team for Florida.
Leadership at Indiana University
Upon assuming leadership of Indiana University, one of Herbert's biggest initiatives focused on "mission differentiation" for IU's eight campuses, which includes making the flagship Bloomington campus more selective. Under the proposal Indiana University BloomingtonIndiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
would educate the professionals, executives and researchers while the regional campuses would educate the labor force. Advocates believe it will rejuvenate Indiana's economy while critics argue it betrays the university's mission of educating more of Indiana's populace.
Herbert's initiative was further complicated by his failure to fill top administrative posts. After Chancellor Sharon Brehm resigned, Herbert left the position unfilled for over two years. He disregarded the search committee's recommendations and began the search anew. These problems prompted controversy among faculty members. Ongoing obligations as director of two out-of-state companies required time away from IU responsibilities.
Herbert is currently serving in the transition team of Mayor-elect of Jacksonville Alvin Brown
Alvin Brown (politician)
Alvin Brown is an American politician who is currently Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida. The first African American elected to the position, he succeeded John Peyton on July 1, 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Life and career:...
.