News

Students to join chancellor search

University of Wisconsin students are now able to nominate candidates for the seat Chancellor John Wiley will leave when he steps down this upcoming summer.

UW’s Chancellor Search and Screen Committee set up an e-mail address last week to receive suggestions and nominations from students and other members of the Madison community.

Students and faculty can provide their input by e-mailing chancellorsearch@wisc.edu, the official account available to all members of the committee.

The committee has also started an official website to post information on the progress of the search. Chancellorsearch.wisc.edu will feature an updated position description and a timeline of the search process.

UW senior Suchita Shah, one of the student members of the committee, said it is very important for the committee to know what the community is looking for in the next chancellor, and urged students to participate.

“This is the one chance we’re going to get to pick the next chancellor,” Shah said. “Everyone should have some chance at helping in the process.”

Students and community members interested in participating in the search will also have a chance to attend public forums the committee will hold. Shah said a chancellor job opening will officially be posted sometime this week.

Nominees must have credentials that would qualify them to be tenured in a UW academic department in order to be eligible, Shah said. Nominations will be confidential and any legitimate nominees will be sought out by the committee and notified of their nomination.

UW graduate student Eric Paulsen, the other student committee member, said he hopes to hear from everyone, adding he is not worried about joke nominations.

“I don’t think we’re worried about people wasting our time,” Paulsen said. “If someone nominates Mickey Mouse, we don’t have to try to find a Mickey Mouse and notify him.”

The e-mail address can also be used for general suggestions. Shah said students can voice their opinions about what they would like the new chancellor to do, from emphasizing a specific department over another or changing current practices regarding how the university is run.