The search-and-screen committee for the next chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison held its fourth forum Wednesday to discuss which qualities campus members would like to see in the university’s next leader.
Approximately 25 people attended the event, slightly more than the previous three forums, according to the committee’s chair David McDonald.
“It was a nice representation of people involved in student government, graduate students, undergraduates and people from different natures,” McDonald said. “It was a good cross section.”
According to McDonald, attendees expressed strong desire for a chancellor who will respect Wisconsin universities’ unique commitment to shared governance, which gives students, faculty and staff influence in university decision making.
“There is an importance students attach to an active role in shared governance and a respect for their perspectives,” McDonald said. “It’s something they expect the chancellor to take seriously and not simply to pay lip service to.”
Overall, McDonald said the forums have been helpful in determining the ideal qualities of a candidate.
“I think we’ve got a much clearer idea,” McDonald said. “We’re coming from a general set of desirable traits and it will concretize when we’re reading the applications and doing the interviews.”
The deadline for applications is Dec. 21. The search committee will then choose between 10 and 12 candidates to interview, out of which they will select approximately five to recommend to a special Board of Regents committee. This committee will then select one candidate to recommend to the full Board, which will vote on and announce the new chancellor at its April meeting.
