The University of Hawai'i suddenly finds itself looking for a new leader after interim President David McClain announced yesterday that he would not actively pursue the top UH post.

The UH Board of Regents now has just months to begin a search and select a new president before McClain's contract expires in October 2006, said Regents chairwoman Kitty Lagareta.

McClain took the reins of the university in a time of turmoil after the ouster of Evan Dobelle, and in the 18 months since has brought stability to the UH system. McClain's strong leadership and ability to work with the many constituencies within the UH system won him the confidence of the regents and Gov. Linda Lingle, and it was widely assumed that he would become the permanent university president.

So yesterday's announcement came as a surprise.

"He's been a wonderful partner — he listens, he's been in the public university system for a long time, he knows how to get things done," Lagareta said.

The news came as a shock to student leaders at UH-Manoa. Grant Teichman, president of the Associated Students of UH, said he was never sure whether McClain wanted to become the permanent president but always thought he was doing an "excellent job."

"He was able to talk with students," Teichman said. "He also listened to what we have to say. That's a quality that will be missed."

In McClain's contract as interim president, Lagareta said the door was left open for him to vie for the permanent office and "even at that point we didn't know how good he would be."

"We have encouraged him in every way we can to throw his hat in the ring," Lagareta said.

Lagareta said the Board of Regents had planned to launch a nationwide search for a permanent president anyway, but in the event McClain would have been a candidate for the permanent post, "David would be very strong."

McClain has said that whoever takes over as president should commit to a term of at least seven years, and he reiterated that belief yesterday.

"My wife and I have talked about our plans — I don't think we are available to serve that whole time," McClain said during a press conference.

McClain, 59, said he told his wife when he became dean of the College of Business Administration in January 2000 that he would serve only until about age 60. He later became Dobelle's second in command and was asked to take over upon the president's departure.

McClain also suggested ethical reasons for not pursuing the permanent position.

"As a matter of personal principle, I think it unwise for interim presidents ... to run for the top job," McClain said.

Lagareta said McClain had expressed those views on many occasions and said she respects him for that.

The regents had considered offering McClain the permanent position for two or three years considering "how well he is performing and the wonderful stability and forward momentum we've had under his leadership," Lagareta said.

During his tenure, McClain led the university through planning for a more than 100 percent tuition increase in coming years, an aggressive building program, recovery from a devastating flood on the UH-Manoa campus, and student and faculty protests over a proposed U.S. Navy University Affiliated Research Center.

His salary as interim president is $325,000 annually, with a third year's sabbatical leave at $190,000 if his two-year appointment is successfully completed.

McClain said after his term as interim president is complete, he possibly will take a sabbatical, then rejoin the College of Business Administration as a faculty member and maybe write a book.

Lagareta said the regents must outline a process for selecting a president. That process may be announced within a matter of weeks, she said.

Lagareta said a candidate likely will be identified and selected by July or August 2006 but will probably not take office until September.

The process of identifying that candidate begins with the selection of an academic search firm that specializes in searching for qualified candidates. Lagareta said that firm likely will have a list of potential qualified candidates.

She also said that since McClain has announced he has no intention of seeking the job, people from inside the university likely will express interest in the position. Lagareta said no one has yet stepped forward.

The last time UH launched a nationwide search for a president was in 2001. Dobelle was selected after a closed-door, carefully guarded and controversial process that involved only a head-hunting company, a panel of 17 committee members and the Board of Regents.

This time around Lagareta said there will be "formal and public consultations" with various UH system constituencies.

Lagareta said the process will be grueling and that McClain has set the standard for his replacement.

"The only hope that I have left is maybe he will change his mind," she said.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.