Qualities of the next chancellor discussed in campus forums

The next person to lead UW–Madison should be a person skilled in diplomacy and multi-tasking who can communicate a common vision of the university’s mission, while advancing the Wisconsin Idea and championing student involvement and diversity, according to those who shared their views in forums held by the search and screen committee this week.

An ideal candidate, according to those at the sessions, should also focus on educational innovation, work with the business community, and be a strong steward of university resources.

Public forums were held on campus Tuesday and Wednesday by the search and screen committee charged with identifying a list of candidates for the position of chancellor. The next forum is Friday in Varsity Hall Hall 3, Union South, 1308 W. Dayton St., 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

A Web chat with members of the committee is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Interim Chancellor David Ward, who the committee is seeking to replace, met with the committee prior to the Wednesday forum to share his thoughts on what the job of chancellor at a major public university entails.

Many view the chancellor’s position from their own corner of the campus and don’t have an appreciation for the wide scope of constituencies the chancellor must satisfy, Ward said.

“The job is incredibly complex at a comprehensive research university,” he said. “You are like the chair of a holding company, not a single enterprise.”

UW–Madison’s shared governance structure requires a chancellor who embraces diplomacy.

“It’s not just shared governance, it’s compound governance,” he said. “You’ve got to enjoy the diplomacy.”

Given the difficult fiscal landscape faced by public universities, the ability to innovate and be agile when opportunities for management flexibilities present themselves is also crucial, Ward said.

David McDonald, the chairman of the 25-member search and screen committee, said the panel is in the process of finalizing the job description. The engagement activities are a way to gather input from the campus community on what values and qualities the next chancellor should have.

A search firm, Storbeck/Pimentel, has been hired to help identify candidates. McDonald said the committee has targeted the end of the fall semester in December as the deadline for applications, and mid-February for turning over a short list of five candidates to the UW System Board of Regents, who will ultimately pick Ward’s successor.

McDonald said consensus building will be an important quality for the next chancellor. He said people from different departments and schools on campus have different experiences and have different ideas of what they’d like to see in the chancellor.

“We need somebody who is able not only to bridge all those constituencies but to give us a broader sense of mission,” said McDonald, a professor of history.

Jim Prudent, a 1985 graduate and CEO of Madison biotech firm Centrose, said the next chancellor should be focused on lowering the costs of innovation in science and research.

“A chancellor is going to have to have the qualities to work with the provost to figure out how we can lower those overhead costs and put that money toward the science and the research that we need to have done,” Prudent said.

Sarah Miller, associate director at Madison Teaching and Learning Excellence, said Ward has been successful in fostering educational innovation, and said that should continue to be a priority for the new chancellor.

“We’re in a place where higher education is changing … it’s clearly going to look different in the next decade or two,” Miller said. “How much and to what extent is that for this next chancellor to be leading UW–Madison in that educational charge?”

Katherine Loving, civic engagement coordinator at University Health Services, said the next chancellor needs a clear vision for outreach and engagement, and advancing the university’s mission as a public institution.

“We need somebody who is really going to interpret the Wisconsin Idea in new ways and think about how we can put more of our resources, both human and otherwise, behind that concept,” she said.

Sam Seering, shared governance chair for the Associated Students of Madison, said he’d like to see a chancellor who is committed to breaking down barriers by reaching out to not only governance but stakeholders outside the university.

“This campus is fairly unique in that it’s integrated into the city itself,” said Seering, a political science major. “It’s difficult to tell sometimes where the campus ends and where the city begins. So having someone who is a good communicator and can work to build those relationships is something I’d like to see in the chancellor you recommend.”

Ilene Seltzer, an Integrated Student Information System supervisor in the Division of Enrollment Management, said the next chancellor should take a proactive approach to resource stewardship.

“In looking at budget and making the case for us, we certainly want someone who would be very proactive and helpful,” she said. “But we have a responsibility to evaluate what we do and make some of the tough decisions ourselves.”

Arturo Diaz, who is pursuing a degree in community and nonprofit leadership with a certificate Chican@ and Latin@ Studies, said the next chancellor should pursue more funding for diversity initiatives and “community involvement with (diversity) organizations.”

Rick Marolt, a lecturer in the School of Business and 2005 graduate of the MBA program, would like a chancellor who will question the use of animals in research.

“I ask that you find a chancellor who has the integrity and courage to question the status quo even thought questioning the status quo might not be in the self-interest of a large research institution like UW–Madison,” Marolt said.

Nicholas Brigham Schmuhl, a graduate student in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and a graduate assistant with the Associated Students of Madison, said the next chancellor needs to play a role in developing a greater diversity of professional development opportunities for grad students beyond exploring a career in academia. He also said the next chancellor should be a champion of student involvement.

“That happens a lot already but in some areas it doesn’t, and I think it could be expanded,” he said. “Students are a large constituency that deserves to be regarded as a major partner on campus, and also this is an educational institution and involvement in shared governance is an outstanding educational opportunity.”

Nicole Bollig, a student services coordinator in the School of Business, said the next chancellor should continue to support the value of advising in the teaching mission of the university.

“In particular asking questions about what experience they have in advising of undergraduate and graduate students, and where that fits in with the mission of a research institution,” she said.

For more information on the search, and to express your thoughts on qualities needed in the next chancellor, visit http://chancellorsearch.wisc.edu.