An administrator from Oklahoma City University will be the next University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point chancellor if approved by the Board of Regents today.
After a search for a new chancellor began earlier this year, Bernie Patterson, former Oklahoma City University Provost for Academic Affairs, was the top recommendation for chancellor.
According to a UW-Stevens Point statement, if the regents approve Patterson’s recommendation, he will take his leadership position in July, replacing interim Chancellor Mark Nook, who was among the six finalists.
While a search and screen committee had a hand in the six finalists, it was UW System President Kevin Reilly and other UW System staff who made the final recommendation.
What characterized the UW-Stevens Point chancellor search was the large talent pool, officials said. UW-Stevens Point spokesperson Stephen Ward said it seemed as though everyone on campus had a different guess as to who would be named chancellor.
Although the candidates were all qualified, UW-Stevens Point Chair of the Search and Screen Committee Neil Heywood said Patterson was ahead of the curve in that he wanted to meet everyone during his campus visit.
“He genuinely seems to enjoy people. [He] easily engages in conversation with just about anyone,” Heywood said.
Patterson also had a First 100 Days Plan, Heywood said, though it did not include immediately imposing his own doctrine. Heywood said Paterson plans to meet with as many different members of the university community as he can.
He also said Patterson had experience in both the public and private sector of higher education.
“Ultimately what won the day for Dr. Patterson is his wide range of experience,” Heywood said.
Patterson also served as a dean at Georgia College and State University, where he supported the production of two jazz CDs and after school activities for “at-risk” middle school students, according to a UW-Stevens Point statement.
Heywood said with a new search beginning at UW-Superior, a new chancellor chosen for UW-Platteville and Patterson’s recommendation, the UW System will be seeing a lot of “new blood and creative minds.”
Ward said it is likely the Board of Regents will approve Patterson as new chancellor. It is very rare the regents do not approve recommendations.
