The Badger Herald

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Chancellor Richard Wells announced Friday he will take his name off the list of five other UW chancellors slated to leave their posts.

Wells was named as one of three finalists in the search for the next chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education last week. But he withdrew his candidacy Friday after returning from a meeting with the system’s Board of Governors.

“It is my impression that this leadership opportunity is not the best fit for me or perhaps (the Pennsylvania State System),” Wells said in a statement.

If he had been offered and accepted the position, Wells would have been the sixth chancellor to leave the UW System within a year and the fourth to leave UW to take a position at another institution.

Board of Regents Vice President Chuck Pruitt said Wells’ decision to stay is “very good news” for the UW System, and the regents are “very pleased that he is staying.”

“He is an outstanding chancellor and that is why he is attractive to other institutions,” Pruitt said.

Wells has been recruited by more than a dozen institutions since he became chancellor at UW-Oshkosh in 2000, but has chosen to participate in only a few searches, he said in the statement.

“With a few exceptions, I have chosen not to pursue these opportunities because of the outstanding support and success we are experiencing at UW-Oshkosh,” Wells added.

Wells said he appreciates the patience and understanding members of the UW-Oshkosh community showed when he was announced as a finalist.

“I will continue, with your help and understanding, to work with you and to remain committed and focused as we move forward the priorities of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh,” Wells said.