Committee to select new chancellor by Dec. 23

This past summer established a significant transitional period for the faculty and students of UW-River Falls, with former Chancellor Don Betz accepting a job offer to become president of Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla. and Interim Chancellor Connie Foster stepping into the role as UWRF’s leader while a search and screen committee seeks a permanent chancellor. 

“For this…year of change and transition in senior leadership, I ask you to remember that we are all in this together. The changes in senior leadership require us to let go of what was once and move onward,” Foster said in the Aug. 25 UWRF Public Affairs press release.

Jim Madsen, physics professor and chair of the chancellor’s search and screen committee, as well as his fellow Search and Screen Committee (SSC) members have begun gathering applications and determining deadlines for the hiring process.

“We have just started to get applications ...but have set Oct. 17 as the day applications need to be in to receive full consideration,” Madsen said.

To receive full consideration as chancellor the candidate must first submit a letter of interest, a list of references and a resume to the SSC. After the SSC reviews all of the applications, they pick the 12 most promising candidates who are then interviewed individually. Next, the SSC picks five candidates to bring on campus. The SSC writes a narrative describing the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate, which is presented to UW System President Kevin Reilly. 

Reilly then interviews each candidate individually in Madison and makes a recommendation to the Board of Regents, who officially approve the hire.

“Our goal is to have a chancellor named on Dec. 23, 2008. This is when the UW Board of Regents meet in Madison,” Madsen said. 

As UWRF students and faculty members wait to hear who is named chancellor, one student questions the responsibilities of a chancellor. 

“I feel that many of the students, especially the underclassman at UWRF, don’t even know who the current chancellor is or what their job consists of,” Brianne Frawley, a junior at UWRF, said. 

According to UWRF’s Web site, the chancellor is the highest administrative position on the UWRF campus and reports directly to the president of the UW System. They are responsible for the allocation of resources on campus and ultimately set budget priorities.

“I hope whoever is selected as the new chancellor of UWRF, that they be a strong leader, and willing to put the student’s needs first and foremost,” Frawley said. 

That is one suggestion UWRF will look to make happen as Dec. 23 approaches.