White, who attended Friday's meeting, praised his successor.
``I feel very secure in the future of our university of Arkansas and its leadership. One of the best things I did as chancellor was bring Dave Gearhart back home,'' White said. ``He's played a tremendous role in bringing us to where we are currently and I know he's not content with where we are now and wants to continue to drive us toward excellence.
White is departing after a tenure marked by a increase in enrollment. But the outgoing chancellor fell short when it came to lobbying the Legislature to provide full funding. White also fell short of a goal to strongly increase minority enrollment at the university, which now sits at 2,383 out of a goal of 4,000 by 2010.
Gearhart inherits from White an athletic department beset by turmoil this year.
After athletic director Frank Broyles announced his retirement, White led the search that landed replacement Jeff Long. Football coach Houston Nutt left the school for Ole Miss after a season marred by disgruntled fans. Nutt received a friendly financial package from the school when he left, which White endorsed at Nutt's farewell news conference.
The athletic shake-ups also included White's firing of basketball coaches Nolan Richardson in 2002 and Stan Heath in 2007.
Gearhart said he hopes to be able to press lawmakers for more funding, but said it was unlikely the Legislature would see him on his knees.
``You know, I had a hip operation once so I'm not sure getting on my knees would be a good idea,'' Gearhart joked. ``It worked for Chancellor White, but not for me.''
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© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
