Credentials for UWW Chancellor Position
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Chancellor Search & Screen Committee and Special Regent Committee
There is a search and screen process under way at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater that will be the first time that the the new University of Wisconsin Board of Regents process for senior administrative hires is being used since it was first introduced in June of 2015 and since it was subsequently revised in October of 2017. The language below was adopted as a resolution by the UW-Whitewater Faculty Senate Executive Committee on January 22, 2019. Please endorse below and tell your colleagues and friends to endorse as well.
We, the undersigned, understand the crucial role that a chancellor plays in the university’s life. The chancellor must be able to represent the university and its faculty, academic staff, students, and other stakeholders to the Board of Regents and the UWS as well as to work as the key academic decision maker of the university itself. Because of these dual roles that require the confidence of the Board of Regents and the Faculty both, the foundational 1966 Statement on the Government of Colleges & Universities specifies that
"Joint effort of a most critical kind must be taken when an institution chooses a new president. The selection of a chief administrative officer should follow upon a cooperative search by the governing board and the faculty, taking into consideration the opinions of others who are appropriately interested. The president should be equally qualified to serve both as the executive officer of the governing board and as the chief academic officer of the institution and the faculty. The president’s dual role requires an ability to interpret to board and faculty the educational views and concepts of institutional government of the other. The president should have the confidence of the board and the faculty."
In the life of the academic community, the chancellor must make decisions in collaboration with governance groups, including with the Faculty in its area of primary responsibility, “academic and educational activities and faculty personnel matters" (UWS 36.09(4); Article II, UWW Faculty Constitution; and AAUP Statement on Government #5). The chancellor must work with the faculty jointly in relationship to matters involving curriculum, academic misconduct, terminations and post-tenure review, as well as promotions and tenure.
The next UW-W chancellor should be required to hold a Ph.D. or terminal degree and have the substantial experience in higher education that qualifies her or him to make decisions regarding academic matters.
Nonetheless, given that the exceptional step was taken in 2017 to place into state statute a prohibition against requiring these minimum academic credentials (36.09(1)(em); see also RPD 6-4, #2), the following language should be placed in all public advertisements for the position:
"A Ph.D. or terminal degree and substantial experience in higher education, which would merit tenure in an academic department at UW-W, is strongly preferred."
To:
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Chancellor Search & Screen Committee and Special Regent Committee
From:
[Your Name]
THE TEXT BELOW IS IDENTICAL TO THE TEXT ABOVE. SEE ABOVE FOR A FORMATTED VERSION WITH ACTIVE LINKS.
There is a search and screen process under way at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater that will be the first time that the new University of Wisconsin Board of Regent process for senior administrative hires is being used since it was first introduced in June of 2015 and since it was subsequently revised in October of 2017. The language below was adopted as a resolution by the UW-Whitewater Faculty Senate Executive Committee on January 22, 2019. Please endorse below and tell your colleagues and friends to endorse as well.
We, the undersigned, understand the crucial role that a chancellor plays in the university’s life. The chancellor must be able to represent the university and its faculty, academic staff, students, and other stakeholders to the Board of Regents and the UWS as well as to work as the key academic decision maker of the university itself. Because of these dual roles that require the confidence of the Board of Regents and the Faculty both, the foundational 1966 Statement on the Government of Colleges & Universities specifies that
"Joint effort of a most critical kind must be taken when an institution chooses a new president. The selection of a chief administrative officer should follow upon a cooperative search by the governing board and the faculty, taking into consideration the opinions of others who are appropriately interested. The president should be equally qualified to serve both as the executive officer of the governing board and as the chief academic officer of the institution and the faculty. The president’s dual role requires an ability to interpret to board and faculty the educational views and concepts of institutional government of the other. The president should have the confidence of the board and the faculty."
In the life of the academic community, the chancellor must make decisions in collaboration with governance groups, including with the Faculty in its area of primary responsibility, “academic and educational activities and faculty personnel matters" (UWS 36.09(4); Article II, UWW Faculty Constitution; and AAUP Statement on Government #5). The chancellor must work with the faculty jointly in relationship to matters involving curriculum, academic misconduct, terminations and post-tenure review, as well as promotions and tenure.
The next UW-W chancellor should be required to hold a Ph.D. or terminal degree and have the substantial experience in higher education that qualifies her or him to make decisions regarding academic matters.
Nonetheless, given that the exceptional step was taken in 2017 to place into state statute a prohibition against requiring these minimum academic credentials (36.09(1)(em); see also RPD 6-4, #2), the following language should be placed in all public advertisements for the position:
"A Ph.D. or terminal degree and substantial experience in higher education, which would merit tenure in an academic department at UW-W, is strongly preferred."