The Daily Cardinal: Can you describe how you as mayor work with the chancellor?
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz: The chancellor and I have a regular lunch every eight weeks or so and we usually have a very full agenda, and we usually discuss a number of things that are joint efforts between the city and UW. Very often they're things related to building on campus, like the progress on the Institutes for Discovery or Murray Mall or other major building projects because there's so many going on on campus. Sometimes we talk about issues related to alcohol on campus - we jointly fund the Alcohol Policy Coordinator. That position is funded 50 percent by the city and 50 percent by the university. We'll talk about as things come up, like Halloween or Mifflin Street, so quite a number of varied things.
DC: What is the most challenging issue you and Chancellor Wiley had to work on together during his term?
Cieslewicz: The issue of use of alcohol on campus and in the city. Generally that's been the toughest issue and one that there's no easy answer for, and that's one of the reasons we came together and funded the Alcohol Policy Coordinator, which is a unique position in the state. We've had other places, for example LaCrosse has come to us, and asked us how that position functions.
DC: Can you describe the position of Alcohol Policy Coordinator?
Cieslewicz: It's a position that's about three years old and it's currently occupied by a woman named Katherine Plominski. Her job really is to work on a wide range of issues regarding alcohol policy in the city and on campus, so she meets regularly with representatives of the Greek system and student groups and downtown bar owners and the Madison police and city staff to really sort of coordinate all of their activities and to try to identity best practices.
DC: What are two other additional issues you see carrying into the new chancellor's term?
Cieslewicz: The issues related to funding of the UW campus, particularly from the state. State support for the UW, while it's been increasing, hasn't been increasing at a rate that really is needed to keep the UW a world-class institution. So it's very important that the new chancellor be able to work with legislators and the government on increasing support for the UW from the state because the UW is the biggest economic engine not only here in Dane County, but really statewide, so I think that's going to be a challenge for the next chancellor. Another one is to maintain the momentum that John Wiley has given us in terms of building on campus, in a very short time, into something that's even more beautiful and functional than the campus that we had before he took office. Of course we've got one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, but the plans that John Wiley has put in place really are going to transform it and make it an even more attractive place to come and be a student and do research.
DC: What are some qualities you'd like to see in the new chancellor?
Cieslewicz: If they get close to John Wiley, I'd be happy. I don't think you can improve much on John - he's been terrific to work with. He's very direct, you never have to guess what he's thinking. He confronts different issues. If the university can deliver a chancellor who has all of John's strengths, I think that would be excellent.
DC: If you could give the new chancellor one piece of advice, what would it be?
Cieslewicz: Well it would probably be buy the mayor lunch (laughs). I suppose one piece of advice for Madison - listen. Just listen. There are so many people who want to be heard and so many people who need to be heard that I think it's very important to get out in the community and listen. Listen to students, listen to neighborhood groups, listen to the business community, listen to legislators ... so much of the job involves getting out and hearing people, so that would be my advice.
