NEWS
Legislators weigh in on UW chancellor search
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by Tom Schalmo
Thursday, February 28, 2008
State legislators announced Wednesday the characteristics they want to see in the next chancellor of the University of Wisconsin — from sound economic skills to quality leadership skills.
UW Communications released statements from several influential state lawmakers as part of an ongoing series to inform the campus community of the ongoing process of finding a new chancellor.
Chancellor John Wiley announced last fall he will step down at the end of this semester, and a search and screen committee has already begun working on finding UW’s next leader.
Rep. Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater and chair of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee, shared the changes he expects the next chancellor to bring to the table.
Nass said the UW System needs a fresh start and a leader from outside the current system, “Someone brought in with the specific goal of shaking up the administrative malaise that has engulfed that campus for the past few years, bringing in new blood, new thinking and a recommitment to academics and sound educational policies.”
Rep. Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan and vice chair of the Colleges and Universities Committee, said she would look for someone willing to work with the state Legislature and preferably someone with a background broader than just in academia.
“I think this needs to be a person that would be a CEO of any Fortune 500 company, with expertise in education of course, but someone who really can understand the business side and the real side of what a major company or major institution would be,” Ballweg said in the statement.
But Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh and member of the Colleges and Universities Committee, said an academic background is essential.
“There might be some who say, ‘Oh gee, we should bring someone from outside academia,’” Hintz told UW. “However, given the University of Wisconsin’s strength in research and academia, I think it’s important to have someone from an academic background who represents and understands faculty and staff effectively and promotes the mission of higher education.”
Nass also said the new chancellor needs to focus on educational costs.
“Frankly, too many middle-class students are being priced out of attending Wisconsin’s flagship campus, and this trend must be reversed if the people of this state are to remain connected to this public institution,” Nass said.
Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma and chair of the Senate Agriculture and Higher Education Committee, also said the next chancellor must be aware of the expenses involved in attending college.
“Our new chancellor must be sensitive to the world from which students come and to which they will return,” Vinehout told UW. “She or he must help us rise above our struggles and envision our potential.”
UW Communications hopes candidates considering applying for the position will look at the opinions they have provided from both legislators and staff.
The next part of the series will be on how the next chancellor can create a diverse campus community. The full series is available on Chancellorsearch.wisc.edu.
The Search and Screen Committee is also holding a series of forums for people to come share their views on the process. The third and final forum is Thursday, March 6 at 4 p.m. in the Dag Hammarskjod Room at Union South.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 10:53am):
Of course Nass will stick his nose in this. I'm attending a university, thus I want someone from academia running things, who understands the purpose of a university. Nass (and most of the state republicans) have no clue about the purpose of higher education, and would be just as content if UW turned into a job training center for Fortune 500 companies.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 3:38pm):
10:53 is exactly right.
Nass's comment âFrankly, too many middle-class students are being priced out of attending Wisconsinâs flagship campus, and this trend must be reversed if the people of this state are to remain connected to this public institution,â --
Then stop decreasing the state's contribution to the UW budget.
What a knucklehead
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 10:55am):
Academia across the US has been run like a 14th Century guild for way too long. Traditionally the only people considered for a job like this are the same as the people already there. If the UW is committed to diversity, then let's start with allowing individuals with backgrounds other than academia to compete for this job. Let's move the UW into the 21st century.
Anonymous (March 3, 2008 @ 2:43pm):
Nass is right about one thing: John Wiley's
performance as chancellor was a total dis-
aster. He did nothing about the grade fraud
scandal that has ravaged the UW Political
Science department. The new chancellor must
fix this problem 100%.
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