Chancellor Wells announced this afternoon that he is no longer a candidate to head the Pennsylvania State System. He writes that the position was not a good fit for him.
Wow! I am surprised! The comments here reminded me about what a big promotion this would be for him.
For the campus, I would say that this is a good thing. The continuity that this means for us on campus is surely a good thing, whether we fully agree with his policies or not. All of the unfinished initiatives on campus need someone to keep pushing.
Here is his announcement:
To the UW Oshkosh Campus Community
I have just returned from several days of discussions with the Pennsylvania State University System of Higher Education (PASSHE) regarding the position of System Chancellor. These conversations were positive and fruitful, and the Board of Governors, which has not yet made a decision, has encouraged my continued candidacy. However, it is my impression that this leadership opportunity is not the best fit for me or perhaps PASSHE. Therefore, I have withdrawn my candidacy. I would like to take this opportunity to wish continued success to PASSHE’s outgoing Chancellor, Judy Hample, and her successor.
I suspect that my candidacy for this position has understandably raised concerns among some members of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh community. Therefore, I think it appropriate for me to briefly explain why I initially decided to become a candidate.
As you may know, experienced university chancellors and presidents are routinely recruited for other positions. In my case, I have been heavily recruited for more than a dozen such leadership roles, many of which have been excellent opportunities. With a few exceptions, I have chosen not to pursue these opportunities because of the outstanding support and success we are experiencing at UW Oshkosh.
One such exception was the Chancellorship of the Pennsylvania State University System. PASSHE is the fifth-largest system of higher education in the nation, comprised of 14 excellent public comprehensive universities.
It is important for me to acknowledge again how much I enjoy and appreciate being the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. I have always considered it to be a great honor to serve as your Chancellor.
I greatly appreciate the patience and understanding many of you demonstrated this past week. I will continue, with your help and understanding, to work with you and to remain committed and focused as we move forward the priorities of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
Richard H. Wells
Chancellor
3 comments:
Personally I think he got word that he wasn't going to get it so he "pulled his name" to save face. It's happened to many times now to think otherwise.
Ummm anonymous, I'm not sure how long you've been connected to higher education, or if, but that is what happens: if you are a finalist for a high profile position, you generally get a 'heads up' that you are probably not going to survive the next, and sometimes final cut and subsequently you won't be getting a contract offer. Thus, one gets to publicly save face by withdrawing.
The Chancellor has done some good and some not so good. His public 'edifice complex' in making unwanted monuments to his regime ala the parking ramp and sports stadium only enhance his resume to outside regents, boards of visitors, etc but do very little to improve the academic life of students or to improve the teaching/research environment for tenured faculty.
We wish him well in his next search and we welcome the next chancellor (but we don't want to even think about going to the open question session for the new chancellor candidates!)
"Ummm anonymous, I'm not sure how long you've been connected to higher education, or if, but that is what happens: if you are a finalist for a high profile position, you generally get a 'heads up' that you are probably not going to survive the next, and sometimes final cut and subsequently you won't be getting a contract offer. Thus, one gets to publicly save face by withdrawing."
Isn't that what I said?
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