"We do have a financial crisis in this state in funding higher education, so we're looking for somebody who could immediately have an understanding of the finances and a demonstrated ability to work with legislators across party lines," Bosley said.

As state budgets have squeezed public university funding, more and more campuses have chosen candidates with political or business connections. But they usually have advanced degrees. Last year, West Virginia University hired Mike Garrison, a former lobbyist and chief of staff to the governor who has a law degree. Former investment banker and White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles heads the University of North Carolina system. Bowles has an MBA.

In December, the University of Missouri chose former Sprint Nextel Corp. Chief Executive Officer Gary Forsee, who has an undergraduate engineering degree, as its president. Lee T. Todd Jr., who has a doctorate in engineering, took over at the University of Kentucky in 2001 after leaving IBM's Lotus Development Corp.

Still, many faculty and students haven't warmed to Benson, something that was evident in a meeting between Benson and students at Boulder Tuesday. A regents vote to approve his nomination has yet to be scheduled, and he is currently participating in rounds of question-and-answer sessions with staff and students.

"It's good the search committee is looking for somebody who is going to be able to fix our funding crisis ... but how can you fundraise for a business you know nothing about?" said Hadley Brown, a student government member.

Jerry Hauser, former chair of the Boulder Faculty Assembly, said he hasn't made up his mind about Benson, but predicted he would have a tough time. "He has an awful lot of learning to do," he said. "He's going to have to scramble for the first six months or so. ... Beginning with such an incredible absence of enthusiasm from faculty, it's going to be very difficult for him."