Chancellor Wells announced today that he is a finalist for chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System Chancellor.
Sounds like a big promotion--moving to be the equivalent of President Reilly [EDIT: I called him Wiley in the first version] of our own system.
The chancellor does like to keep his hat in the ring--always looking for something better.
He seems to make the short-list about once a year. The last time we heard about his attempt to leave was back in October 2006. He thought about California in 2005.
I suppose I should have more of an opinion about this, but it is hardly surprising.
6 comments:
Why should you have an opinion on what Chancellor Wells chooses to do with his career? Everyone has the right to seek whatever employment opportunites he or she wishes. It is not as though Wells demanded an outrageous salary, made huge promises and then dumped UWO after only two or three weeks. You may not like him or some of the things he has done, but he has served the UWO community for eight years in a professional and productive manner. He has the right to make the most out of his available career options.
Just a note: The President of the UW System is Kevin Reilly. The Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is John Wiley. The position as system head is what Wells is up for - the equivalent of Reilly's job, not Wiley's post.
A further note. Pennsylvania's system isn't really equivalent to the UW system--it's only the comprehensives, not the flagship school or the two-year schools.
Miles is blogging about Richard "Resume" Wells over at his site too:
Miles2Go
OK, what bugs me is all over the news today everyone is pointing at this and saying "see, we don't pay our administrators enough." But where are all the big stories about the state of faculty pay and the very real retention problem UWO is facing (along with the rest of the UW System)?
(And before you ask, yes, after more than a decade at UWO, I recently sent out my first application for a job someplace else. In many ways I'm happy here, but the longer you stay, the less you make, and it is getting to be an issue.)
Much as I like evidence of the injurious parsimony of the state of Wisconsin, I don't think Chancellor Wells' case is it.
This is clearly a big step up in duties and responsibilities, a whole new level of challenges: to go from running one comprehensive to running an entire system of comprehensives. Yes, it will pay more, but he will have much different duties. It's a big step up for him. Apples and oranges.
If he were taking the chancellorship of, e.g., St. Cloud State University, for twice the salary UWO offers, THEN his would be a valid example of small salaries driving out big talent.
Post a Comment