Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, December 9, 1993                   TAG: 9312090175
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: ALLISON BLAKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TECH STILL LOOKING

"We need some further direction from the board," said Henry Dekker, chairman of the search committee and a member of the board.

Acting President Paul Torgersen, long-time dean of the College of Engineering, has made no secret of his interest in the permanent job. A group of prominent engineering alumni, known as the Committee of 100, has launched a lobbying campaign to put Torgersen in the president's office - before the committee's April 24 deadline.

Dekker has asked Torgersen if he is interested in the permanent job, both men said this week.

"If I'm asked to stay on, I will stay on," Torgersen said.

He has spent recent weeks crisscrossing the state representing Tech to legislators who will sit on finance committees during the upcoming General Assembly session, where higher education cuts of 10 percent or more are scheduled for debate.

"There's a difference between being president and acting president," he said, referring to the weight his words now carry. "I can be a strong advocate tomorrow" if named president.

Torgersen made his comments following a report to the faculty senate on his lobbying efforts. To the faculty, he emphasized the political nature of university funding - and that "we're late getting out of the blocks."

Torgersen was appointed Oct. 1. Tech President James McComas resigned in September after being diagnosed with cancer.

Today's board meeting comes one week after the search committee drew up a profile of the ideal candidate to replace McComas.

In addition to the search, the board will consider settlement of a lawsuit and plans for coping with possible state budget cuts. Gov. Douglas Wilder is expected to release his final budget before Christmas.

According to Dekker, called board meetings are unusual - but they tend to occur around budget time.

Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.