Another chancellor leaving Wisconsin

by Carolyn Potts

Thursday, April 24, 2008 00:00

When it rains, it pours for the University of Wisconsin System, which now has open chancellor positions at more than one-third of its four-year schools.

UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard announced Wednesday he is the preferred candidate to be the next president of Western Washington University, according to a statement released by the UW System.

Shepard will be the fifth chancellor of 14 UW System four-year schools to leave his position this year and the second this month. Chancellor Don Betz of UW-River Falls announced his resignation April 8.

The UW System currently has searches in progress to fill the chancellor positions at UW-Madison, UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire, but UW System President Kevin Reilly will appoint an interim chancellor for UW-Green Bay until a search committee can be established.

Board of Regents member and UW-Madison student Colleene Thomas said an interim chancellor will be appointed because there is not enough time to go through the search process before the next school year.

According to UW System spokesperson David Giroux, each chancellor has chosen to leave their position for very different reasons. Giroux said many are seeking opportunities to advance in their careers.

Thomas said some chancellors are leaving for retirement, and she expects to see more leaders, not just in higher education, leave over the next two years as the baby boomers continue to reach retirement age. Compensation is also very important for faculty retention, she said.

“I think we would be fools not to talk about compensation with the current chancellor exodus,” Thomas said. “In reality, [the salaries UW chancellors make] are pretty low compared to what they could make elsewhere. As long as we continue to make our wages below that of our peers, we are going to continue to see chancellors leave.”

Giroux said the number of open positions should not have much affect on those applying to take the role of chancellor at these institutions. He said those applying for leadership positions in higher education understand there are many different reasons people leave.

UW institutions still need continuity, though, because “everyone benefits from leaders who stay in place for more than just a few years,” Thomas said.

“We are seeing people who are leaving after two or three years, and that really diminishes the life of the institution because each chancellor has a different way of doing things,” Thomas said.