Posted my reply, highly recommend that everyone post their thoughts on the issue. Here's what I put:
"The next ISU president needs to focus on both academics and athletics. The budget cuts to the university are getting ridiculous, class sizes keep shrinking and the diversity of classes that ISU students expect keep dwindling, despite our tuition going up progressively each semester. This cannot keep happening, as students will not be able to keep overachieving to maintain this high ranking and many may choose another university due to the rising cost to attend ISU. He also needs to view ISU as a flagship university for this state, not as a subsidiary of the University of Iowa.
Also, this past summer we saw the importance of having a top-tier athletic program with University of Nebraska-Lincoln joining the Big Ten, despite a lack of high academic standing compared to other universities, including our own. Luckily, President Geoffroy has always been a staunch supporter of athletics and we need his successor to do the same. With success in athletics, we breed increased university attendance numbers and increased revenues that help the athletic department and the student-athletes it supports."
I was lucky enough to have President Geoffroy over for dinner on Monday night and pick his brain for almost an hour. Iowa State will be missing a great individual when he steps down, and I am glad he was the President during my time as a student at ISU.
