Mone, Two Outsiders Named Chancellor Finalists

The UW System released the names of three finalists for UW-Milwaukee chancellor Wednesday morning – and they are the current interim chancellor and two academic leaders from Missouri and Ohio.

The announcement of three names comes as a surprise, as the UW System originally said there were five finalists. This will be the third search for a chancellor at UW-Milwaukee in 10 years. The most recent chancellor, Michael Lovell, left UWM for its cross-city rival Marquette last spring.

The finalists are:

• Gail Hackett, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairsat the University of Missouri-Kansas City;
• William M. Mike Sherman, senior vice president, provost, and Chief Operating Officer at the
  University of Akron;
• Mark A. Mone, interim chancellor at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Student Ryan Sorenson, president of the Student Association at UW-Milwaukee, was a member of the committee that chose the finalists. “It’ll be good for our new chancellor to make sure they still have that vision for UWM, that we are 21^st-century school,” said Sorenson.

Sorenson echoed the committee chair in saying it’s important to stop turnover of UWM chancellors. “UWM produces a lot of good leaders, and sometimes UWM is used as a stepping stone for chancellors to achieve higher goals in their life.”

Thirty-eight applicants from across the country were considered for the position.  A specialized search committee for the chancellor’s position distilled the list of applicants into five finalists, which were submitted to UW System President Ray Cross’ office yesterday. The narrower group of three finalists was approved for release shortly thereafter.

The search committee, appointed by Cross’ office, consisted of an eclectic group of 27 members from within the UWM community.  It includes 14 faculty members, two academic staff members, two classified staff members, two UWM students, two UW System administrators, and five community representatives.  The committee convened for the first time in early May.

Among the 14 faculty members involved in the search committee was Mark Schwartz, distinguished professor in the Geography Department and chair of the committee.

“We understand where we want to go, and what we’re going to do,” said Schwartz, when asked what qualities are being looked for in a new chancellor.  “We’re looking for someone to come in and take the point and lead the charge.”

But what specifically does UW-Milwaukee need done?

UWM is currently in the process of finishing major construction projects, including the collection of buildings on the Innovation Campus, the completion of the Kenwood Interdisciplinary Research Complex and plans for a potential new student union.

Another major issue for UW-Milwaukee will be acquiring sources for funding in the face of a tuition freeze.

In previous chancellor Michael Lovell’s short three-year stint as chancellor, he oversaw the execution of some of the major campus construction projects and proposed numerous social, academic and economic initiatives.

“Realistically our situation here is that if someone is here, and they’re very good, there’s a chance that they think about going to some other place,” said Schwartz.  “It’s a double-edged sword.  On the other hand, if you have a chancellor that you aren’t very happy with, you’d probably be happy that they left.”

Looking ahead, the screening schedule for candidates will become very rigorous.  The candidates will individually visit UWM to take tours around campus and partake in public forums where students, faculty and community members can participate in dialogue with the candidates.

Each candidate will be then be interviewed by UW System President Ray Cross and the Regents Committee on Dec. 10.

The committee and the UW System administration plan to have their final choice for the position by Dec. 15.  The new chancellor’s start date will rely heavily on the circumstances of the individual selected for the position, according to a UW System press release.  Theoretically, the new chancellor could take over on Jan. 1, 2015, although it is highly unlikely.