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UW aims for quality

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Also by Heather Quitos:

In-Depth: Spending money to make money (April 26, 2007)
J-Cheezy, UW kick off challenge (April 20, 2007)
In-Depth: Looking inside UW's closet (April 12, 2007)
Recruiters face diversity issue (March 26, 2007)
Tag-team academics (March 14, 2007)

by Heather Quitos

Monday, February 26, 2007

In the search to fill an administrative position at the University of Wisconsin, officials aim to find the most qualified applicant who will ease smoothly into the university system.

When the university recently appointed Lori Berquam as the dean of students, administrators knew Berquam could fit into the system because she had experience working as the interim dean of students. And the transition into a high-profile administrative position may be easier for someone already familiar with UW.

But Provost Patrick Farrell, who ultimately made the selection for the dean of students with Chancellor John Wiley, said while Berquam had worked for more than a year as an interim, her previous experience at the university was not a driving factor in the search.

"We knew she had experience," Farrell said. "In the searches, one might be from the campus, and in other cases, more than one might be — but the focus was really on the candidates."

Berquam, however, is not the only administrator to be hired from within the UW staff.

Farrell himself and even Wiley held previous jobs at the university before being promoted to higher positions.

Farrell was previously the College of Engineering associate dean for academic affairs before his appointment as provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs.

And Wiley has been with the university since 1975, serving as the dean of the graduate school and the provost, among other positions.

But whether such "in-house" hiring is effective among the university's top administrative positions remains to be seen.

Pyle-Bascom professor of business leadership Mason Carpenter said on a general level, there are both advantages and disadvantages to hiring from within the staff.

"If you hire from the inside, research shows they'll think like the people already here," Carpenter said. "If we want to do things here differently, it may be less likely that it'll happen."

Seven of the current 15 academic deans at UW have been hired in-house, according to statistics provided by the university's Office of the Faculty.

For now, any sort of imbalance between in-house and external hiring is not apparent.

UW System spokesperson David Giroux said through his own experience hiring from within an extensive system can both hinder and help the administration.

"I've seen it work both ways," Giroux added. "It's a trade-off between people with on-the-ground knowledge and those who may bring a new perspective to a job."

Dean of the Medical School Robert Golden, who worked at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill for 23 years before coming to Madison, said moving to a new university presents benefits and challenges.

"There is an advantage of bringing fresh eyes into a system, and bringing experience that allows one to contribute thoughtful questions to planning process," Golden said. "But there are also a few disadvantages, as it takes time to learn the history and the culture and to develop strong relationships."

Farrell, who has worked at UW for 25 years, agreed, saying someone from within an administration is knowledgeable about the system's history and important happenings.

"I know the perception is that those from the outside, their ideas are new and unusual," Farrell said. "But you can still make some advances because [those from within] know what some of the key issues are."

Ultimately, hiring at UW depends on the strengths of the candidate, regardless of the applicant's past location.

"It comes down to a judgmental call — is this the best person for the job right now based on all the other applicants?" Giroux asked. "It's always going to be a subjective judgment."

Farrell said an important asset to an employee, whether they are acquired externally or internally, is to keep an open mind when hired.

"You have to make sure you're not inwardly focused," Farrell said. "There is plenty for us to learn … from other universities. The key is always to be looking, always paying attention."

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Anonymous (February 26, 2007 @ 8:38pm):

I don't think John Wiley or Patrick Farrell has the judgment to open a door, never mind run UW. They should be replaced.

Anonymous (March 4, 2007 @ 11:23pm):

Wiley and Farrell have been the worst two administrators in the history of UW-Madison. Definitely replace them.

Anonymous (March 22, 2007 @ 7:40pm):

Yes. Replace these two fools.

Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 7:09pm):

The whole UW administration and Board of Regents should be fired.

Anonymous (April 1, 2007 @ 9:23pm):

Well, I cannot disagree. These people have all been bad, and I believe that is why Billups and Durand are leaving. The mood at Bascom is really gloomy with the Barrows trial approaching.

Anonymous (April 7, 2007 @ 3:11pm):

Rumor has it that the Barrows trial will be really embarrassing for UW.

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