The Associated Students of Madison put forward an endorsement for University of Wisconsin chancellor finalist Michael Schill Friday after meeting with all four finalists as part of the screening process throughout the last several weeks.
ASM Rep. David Gardner, in addition to 12 other ASM members and student leaders, released an endorsement Friday to the Search and Screen Committee and the Board of Regents, strongly recommending candidate Michael Schill to be the new chancellor. The endorsement also expressed uneasiness with finalists Rebecca Blank and Kim Wilcox.
Gardner said Blank and Wilcox did not demonstrate a clear understanding of UW’s unique model of shared governance. He said they were not up to speed on student issues.
Students chose to endorse Schill because he puts student priorities first, Gardner said. He said Schill will fight for accessible education at UW, and added one of Schill’s main concerns is campus diversity.
ASM Chair Andrew Bulovsky said the interaction with the finalists was very positive. He said he found all of the finalists to be extremely well-qualified for the position and that they all seemed willing to cooperate with students and shared governance.
Shared Governance Chair Brittany Moes said it is essential to have students and faculty not only involved in ASM, but also in collaboration with the chancellor to make UW a success. She said she wants a chancellor who will work well with students and faculty, and who will respect the shared governance process.
“I think it went really well to be able to sit down and have lunch with the chancellor finalists,” Moes said. “It was really nice to have more of a personal relationship.”
Gardner said Student Council’s role in the search and screen process involved engaging in constant communication with the finalists to determine if they would cooperate with student issues. Also, he added, Student Council worked to solicit feedback from students.
Gardner said it is important for Student Council to interact during the search and screen process, because ASM, as the student voice, is valuable in incorporating student issues.
“The chancellor candidates were very happily surprised by the amount of student involvement,” Gardner said.
Students outside of ASM should also be involved and have a vested interest in determining the future figurehead of UW, Bulovsky said. Without students, he added, there would be no campus.
Bulovsky said he wants a chancellor who understands national and international demands on the education system and is able to appreciate the need to raise UW’s prestige and visibility. He also said he would like a chancellor who is able to search for new and innovative sources of funding.
“I want a bold and visionary leader who is able to instill pride in campus and make students excited to be Badgers,” Bulovsky said.
In the future, Gardner said, ASM will work to ensure the new chancellor knows how strong student governance is at UW. ASM will communicate directly with the chancellor to be a part of the process of solving student issues, he added.
Bulovsky said he will meet with the new chancellor in early fall to congratulate him or her and also provide more information about campus and student government.
