Chancellor Search
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Chancellor Search and Screen Committee Meeting
Monday, December 3, 2007 - 7:45-10:00 AM
Hyer Hall, Room 142

Committee Members Present: Jimmy W. Peltier (Chair), Dennis Baskin, Barbara Bren, Carolina Calvillo, John Chenoweth, Michael Cohen, Robert Douglas, Denise Ehlen, Zohreh Ghavamshahidi, Jenny Hanewall, Joseph Hogan, Larry Kachel, Hephzibah Kumpaty, James Larson, Tisa Mason, Manuel Ossers, Ann Ruff, Nicholas Santilli, Faye Skelton, Susan Wildermuth

Committee Administrative Assistant: Liz Stegemann

Committee Members Absent: John Stone, Diana Rogers-Adkinson

Guests:
 
Faculty Senate Executive Committee: Joseph Hogan (Chair), Elena Bertozzi, Hephzibah Kumpaty, Jim Molloy, Manuel Ossers David Porter, Rowand Robinson, Karen Weston

Academic Staff Assembly Committee : Mike Cohen (Chair), Denise Ehlen, Mike Flannigan, Sandy Scott Duex

Former Chancellor James Connor

Interview with Faculty Senate Executive Committee Representatives (8:00-8:35)

Peltier: What do you think the greatest challenge the Faculty will face in the next 3-5 years?
  1. Financial problems related to:
  • Recruitment,
  • Retention, and
  • Retirement
Peltier: What do you feel are universal traits or qualities that all good chancellors must have?
  1. Ability to talk to legislature and motivate faculty to work with legislature
  2. Open-minded to new ideas
  3. Honesty
  4. An ambassador ? able to listen and then represent
  5. External fundraising
  6. Make creative use of new technology
Peltier: Aside from financial issues, what can the university do to increase retention?
  1. Let the campus chose a name specific to its strengths
  2. Communicate with faculty to make them feel more appreciated; raise morale
Peltier: Are there any other challenges or opportunities that you would like to address?
  1. Creating an identity for the university and selling it
Peltier: What internal and external qualities should we look for in a chancellor?
  1. Creativity in problem solving
  2. Commitment to the university and a vision for the future of the university
  3. Commitment to diversity
  4. Articulate in speaking and writing
  5. Sound judgment
  6. Approachable
  7. Scholarship credentials
  8. Able to fight for the university at the systems level
Peltier: Last question, if you had to pick three or four things that we should look for in a chancellor, what would they be?
  1. Experience in fundraising, communication skills, vision for the future of the university
  2. Communication skills, vision for the future of the university, strategy for increasing multiculturalism, fundraising
  3. Approachable, values diversity, fundraising
  4. Fundraising, vision, interpersonal skills
  5. Communication and interpersonal skills, vision, fundraising
  6. Interpersonal skills, fundraising, commitment to the university
  7. Creativity, aggressiveness/competitiveness in competing for resources for the university, honesty and integrity
  8. Value world-class programs that will prepare students for the global community, high thinking and collegiality, vision
Peltier: Are there any other qualities you would like to address?
  1. Be aware of changes in technology

Interview with Academic Staff Assembly Committee Representatives (8:45-9:25)

Peltier: What do you think the greatest challenge your constituents will face in the next 3-5 years?
  1. The system of promotion for instructional and non-instructional academic staff
  2. The increased work load for instructional staff has led to a decrease in time left for advising students and conducting research
Peltier: What do you feel are universal traits or qualities that all good chancellors must have?
  1. An understanding of the differences between instructional and non-instructional academic staff
  2. Willing to consider offering more security in longer academic staff contracts
Committee Member: Are these differences and issues between instructional and non-instructional academic staff unique to this university system or is this something everyone knows? Is this an issue about which the committee will need to education chancellor candidates?
  1. It is rather unique here, but there has been good understanding in the past
Peltier: Specific to our campus, what would you say are the most critical qualities our chancellor must have to serve both on and off campus?
  1. Integrity, lead by example
  2. Confidence and assertiveness in making decisions
  3. Fundraising
  4. Build positive relations with alumni and the community
  5. Advocate for funds in the state budget process
  6. Able to negotiate political terrain
  7. Objectivity
  8. Communication skills, approachability, visibility on campus
Peltier: Are there any actions of former chancellors, positive or negative, that stand out in your mind?
  1. Positive - came to meetings, experience with shared governance, understanding of the different kinds of academic staff
  2. Negative - asked academic staff to make goals for 5 or 6 years down the road, but the staff were only contracted for 1 year
Committee Member: If we were to ask the members of your organization about the position a new chancellor should take on collective bargaining, would they agree?
  1. There would not be a consensus, but a majority would be in support of collective bargaining
Peltier: Last question, if you had to pick three or four things that we should look for in a chancellor, what would they be?
  1. Leadership, integrity, confidence and assertiveness in making decisions
  2. Fundraising, creativity, interpersonal skills
  3. Understanding and valuing multiple views, politically astute, model for students, faculty, and staff
  4. Concern for the mental and physical health and safety of students and staff; ability to hear not only the obvious, but also the undercurrents; a love for intellectual pursuits
  5. Value scholarship, research, and service as goals for staff; support staff and faculty rights; communication skills
For responses from Academic Staff Assembly Committee members who were not able to attend this meeting, please see the attachment at the end of these minutes.

Interview with Former Chancellor Connor (9:30-10:00)

Peltier: What does a Chancellor do?
  1. What does a chancellor not do?
  2. Communicate with students, faculty, staff, and community
  3. Face of the institution
Committee Member: Aside from attending meetings, how can chancellors make students feel welcome?
  1. Make him or herself available
  2. Attend organization meetings
  3. Put a student on the cabinet
  4. Be involved in activities such as homecoming
Committee Member: Does the job of a chancellor go beyond a typical 9-5 job?
  1. It's not a job, it's a way of life.
Committee Member: Should we consider candidates who have not gone through scholarly avenues? For example, a candidate who instead has strong business experience.
  1. That would be preferable, but do not close the door on others.
Committee Member: Fundraising is an issue being mentioned by many of the groups the committee has talked with thus far. Would it be a mistake to choose a candidate who is less concerned about being involved on campus, yet would be an effective fundraiser?
  1. Yes. The chancellor should not be away from campus too much. When it comes to fundraising, he or she should not need to do the legwork, but rather just close the deal.
Peltier: Can you think of any mistakes that you learned from?
  1. Don't confuse personal issues and professional decisions
Committee Member: What specific traits would help us identify someone who can deal with challenges of heading a big university?
  1. Flexibility
  2. Communicates well
  3. Committed to basic academic values
  4. Commitment to student and faculty diversity
  5. Ability and desire to relate to the community
What was your biggest success as chancellor?
  1. Bringing the campus and community together

Upcoming Meetings
  • Wednesday, December 5, 2007 - Department Chairs meeting at noon in room 2254 of the library.
  • Friday, December 7, 2007 - Some members will meet with the Center for Students with Disabilities at 11:30 AM in Heide 311
  • Monday, December 10, 2007 - Committee will meet at 7:45 AM in Carlson Hall 4041
    • Multicultural student leader representatives
    • Plan 2008
  • Monday, December 17, 2007 -  Committee will meet at 7:45 AM in Hyer 142

Notes taken by Committee Administrative Assistant: Liz Stegemann

Academic Staff Assembly Committee - Responses from members not in attendance
1.    What do you think is the greatest challenge your constituents will face in the next 3-5 years?  What about campus in general?
  1. Understand the importance of being a financial advocate for faculty and staff on campus. State budget issues have left marginal opportunities for faculty and staff to earn wage increases that are in line with inflation
  2. Financial security and support is crucial to keeping quality faculty and staff at UW-W. 
  3. Campus faces an identity crisis. We want we want to be successful in two areas
    • A desired student retention rate of 80 % in the near future
    • A more diverse population of students admitted; i.e.; minority populations.
  4. Crucial for the new Chancellor to clarify the goals for the University with the confines of the state "Growth Agenda" mandated by the UW-System president Reilly. It is very unrealistic to admit diverse populations of students while under the common admission standards set forth by the University. We cannot force diversity upon our campus with the idea that we want our graduation rates to reach the heights of 80 %. We admit many minority students that are not prepared or capable to succeed in school, it feels as if we are setting them up for failure by admitting them, taking their tuition then providing only developmental course opportunities to them based on their low ACT scores.
2.    What do you feel are universal traits or qualities that all good chancellors must have?
  1. Strong experiences related to fundraising efforts - It is important for UW-W to maintain a standard of academic opportunity that is accessible to middle income families and first generation students. 
  2. Strong skills related to assessment and research - Assess academic programs and extra curricular programs that perhaps are very costly to maintain, but aren't providing results that are productive and substantial enough to continue. 
  3. Active on campus - listening sessions, attends meetings, shows appreciation for employees
  4. Willing to reward staff with longer, more secure contracts
  5. Able to represent the campus in the media and in the community
  6. Quick mind; ability to respond with clarity and brevity
  7. Commitment to diversity
  8. Calm temperament and mediation skills
3.    Specific to our campus, what would you say are the most critical qualities our chancellor must have to serve our internal constituents?
  1. Understanding of the different working environments of academic staff, faculty, and classified staff
  2. Understanding of the pressures and challenges faced by students
  3. Continuity and stability.
  4. There are really no "(alleged) qualities and traits all good chancellors have" since different traits are needed under different conditions. 
4.     (a) Given your knowledge of the UW System and the Wisconsin Educational climate, what do you feel are important skills that our UWW chancellor needs to serve us well at the system level?
  1. Seeking intrusive involvement in state budget issues as much as possible
  2. Looking out for fair and equitable returns for faculty and staff.
  3. Bridge between the campus and the system
(b) Are there any other "external" skills that our chancellor must possess?  
  1. Strong evidence of good relations with Alumni and community, Community involvement etc.
  2. Fundraising experience
5.    Last question, if you had to pick three or four things that we should look for in a chancellor, what would they be?
  1. Leadership by example
  2. Integrity
  3. Ability to be confident and assertive in making difficult decisions
  4. Realistic
  5. Sincere and personable