Interim Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos leads the pack to become the eighth chancellor of the university.

"It is not a matter of if he will become the next chancellor, but when," said one executive search committee member.

Zeppos is widely considered the favorite of many Board of Trust members, according to three sources familiar with the situation.

And a high-ranking university official said it was "almost certain" Zeppos would be the recommendation of the executive search committee.

Despite reports in The Tennessean earlier in the week that Vanderbilt would pursue Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for the job, the high-ranking university official said the rumor was false.

The full board must approve the appointment after the executive search committee recommends a candidate.

The full board will hold its first meeting of 2008 in February, although Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Mike Schoenfeld said they could hold a special gathering.

"Board committees, and for that matter the full board, could meet anytime for a specially called meeting for something important, like a vote on the new chancellor," he said, but added that "nothing like that is or has been scheduled."

Zeppos, 53, would succeed former Chancellor Gordon Gee, who stepped down this summer to return to The Ohio State University where he served as president from 1990 to 1998. Zeppos has served as interim chancellor and continued his post as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs since late this summer.

This could be the first time in more than 60 years that a chancellor has come from within the administration.

Zeppos joined the Vanderbilt community in 1987 as assistant professor in the Law School, and then subsequently served as associate dean and associate provost before being named provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs in 2002.

In a statement yesterday, Schoenfeld declined to comment on the candidacy of any individual for chancellor and said the search process was still in progress.

Zeppos could not be reached for comment. If he secures board approval at the start of the year, he will likely take office before the 2008-09 academic year.

Submitted by BenKarp on Mon, 12/17/2007 - 22:43.

We're not gonna find another Gee

Our strength as a university is in the collective accomplishments and decisions of our community, both academically and athletically. It isn't rooted in one personality or figure head. Arguing that he shouldn't be selected because he's a "nobody" in the world of higher education is ridiculous. He should be evaluated on his merits and competencies, more so than reputation, as should all chancellor candidates. By all reasonable metrics, our university has been flourishing under Zeppos' temporary reign. To my understanding, our endowment is still growing at an impressive rate, the school's as selective as ever, we've been attracting good faculty and researchers with strong reputations. Our athletics are perfectly fine and have not suffered at all this year. Our men's basketball team is undefeated. Our baseball and bowling teams are phenomenal. We just retained Johnson as our football coach. Zeppos has a thorough knowledge of Vanderbilt's inner workings, and seems to have a vision for strengthening the educational product that forms the core of the university. So what if he doesn't wear a quirky bow tie and show up at frat parties? I'd prefer a good education and a solid administration over a prestigious one any day.

Submitted by Michael Wilt on Fri, 12/14/2007 - 15:07.

This is a terrible, terrible

This is a terrible, terrible idea. As someone else said earlier, he may be a nice and competent guy, but that's not enough. Hear that sound? It's the sound of my wallet, as an alumnus, closing. I doubt I'll be the only one.

Submitted by bengrimwood on Fri, 12/14/2007 - 14:57.

Chancellor Zeppos???

Oh, no... Please don't make this decision, BOT! For weeks I have discussed with my friends why I would not like Interim Chancellor Zeppos to become our new Chancellor, and most of my argument revolves around just how significant and astounding Gee was. Gee helped rebuild the athletic department, he earned the university millions of dollars in funding, and he had a natural charisma and candor (and that good ol' bow tie) that earned the affection of students and faculty. In my first year at Vanderbilt, I saw Chancellor Gee many times over the course of two semesters, as he circulated the lunch hot spots some days, hopped frat parties some nights, and advertised extracurricular events most weekends. To lose someone like Gee, someone so rich in personality and capability was a huge blow to the university, and I emphatically do not believe Zeppos is the man to fill Gee's shoes. (No offense to I. C. Zeppos.) Zeppos lacks the personality that Gee helped to make celebrated around the university. Zeppos seems to lack the friendliness and social extraversion that Gee embodied because I have seen Zeppos only once this entire semester so far, and it was from afar. I question Zeppos' overall leadership capabilities because as professional and gifted as he may seem, he just does not have the power that Vanderbilt truly needs. Gee represented that power, and with his absence, Vanderbilt should be more careful in finding an equally (or more) powerful replacement. If the BOT continues with the decision to induct Zeppos, then I pity what will happen to our university's higher administration. At least Gee brought appeal to them; I doubt Zeppos can.

Submitted by mhartney83 on Fri, 12/14/2007 - 11:09.

A Monumental Day

... in the history of our University. 50 Years from now when the next author of "Gone with the Ivey" writes the chapter on Vanderbilt's peaking in the 21st century the impending Zeppos' appointment will go down as the Titanic versus the Commodore. The ship will have sunk under Zeppos. This makes no sense whatsoever. We are well positioned to attract some serious heavyweights to VU and we are at the peak of our luster as an academic and athletic university. There are many quality candidates on the market or who we could poach. Zeppos is a lazy choice by a lazy BOT, and I too will resolve not to donate to my alma mater again if they make this absolutely horrible decision.

Submitted by GoDores2005 on Fri, 12/14/2007 - 10:59.

Totally Agree this is the wrong decision

The BOT definitely botched this one. While I'm sure Zeppos is a competent administrator, he is not the proper person to head our university. Chancellor Gee brought respectability back to our athletics program and Zeppos never showed a comparable commitment during his tenure as provost. Does everyone remember the midterm transfer rule that has prevented VU athletic teams from accepting qualified transfers for the spring semester? While I recognize athletics is not the most important aspect of a university, it is the most visible to the general public and Zeppos will not help our perception. I will discontinue any donations to the Vanderbilt Fund if Zeppos is hired, and don't be surprised if we lose our best coaches as a result of this decision.

Submitted by mhartney83 on Fri, 12/14/2007 - 10:07.

A Tragic Mistake; We May Never Recover

Nick Zeppos may be a nice and competent man, but the fact is he is a nobody in the larger higher education community/world. I would be sorely disappointed if he is named Chancellor. Vanderbilt has come too far to miss this opportunity to build on the heels of poaching an Ivy league Chancellor to revert back into the mediocre status of the 1980s with a candidate like Zeppos who lacks the gravitas to push us to the next level. While I’m not sure a big name politician (Condi, Lamar, or Algore) was the answer, surely we could find a bigger name than Zeppos from within academia. I doubt even so much as a word search in the archives of the Chronicle of Higher Education would pull 3 articles on the man. Please BOT do not do this it is suicide.

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Zeppos 'almost certain' to become 8th Vanderbilt chancellor