Chancellor Position Announcement and Description
The University of Wisconsin System invites applications and nominations for the position of chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In achievement and prestige, the University of Wisconsin–Madison has long been recognized as one of America’s great universities. On a lakefront campus that is considered one of the nation’s most picturesque, this public, land-grant institution includes a complete spectrum of liberal arts studies, professional programs and student activities.
About the University of Wisconsin–Madison
The university traces its roots to the state Constitution, which decreed that the young state should have a prominent public university. In 1848, legislators passed a bill that formally created the university, and its first class of 17 students met on February 5, 1849. From those humble beginnings, the university has grown into a large, diverse community, with approximately 40,000 students enrolled each year. These students represent every county in Wisconsin, as well as states across the country and nations around the globe. The 373,500 living alumni of the UW–Madison constitute a globally distributed body and are a significant resource to the university.
UW–Madison is the oldest and largest campus in the University of Wisconsin System, a statewide network of two doctoral and 11 comprehensive universities, 13 freshman-sophomore transfer colleges and a statewide extension service.
UW–Madison’s mission includes providing “a learning environment in which faculty, staff and students can discover, examine critically, preserve and transmit the knowledge, wisdom and values that will help ensure the survival of this and future generations and improve the quality of life for all.” The university seeks to achieve these ends through innovative programs of research and scholarship, teaching and public service.
The UW–Madison, a member of the AAU, has an outstanding history of excellence and breadth of research and scholarship in all disciplines. The National Science Foundation ranked UW–Madison second in the country in research and development in fiscal 2006, with more than $900 million in expenditures annually. Research at UW–Madison has fed a steady stream of inventions, life-improving ideas, and innovative social programs, in areas as wide-ranging as biofuels, medical technology, stem cell research, anti-poverty initiatives, and education reform. Scholarship in the social sciences and arts and humanities has deepened our understanding of the human condition. Research is a campus-wide enterprise, engaging faculty, staff, and students.
UW–Madison has long been a leader in developing residential learning communities in which students can live and learn with other students who share interests ranging from women in science and engineering to foreign languages. The university ranks 11th in the nation for the number of students who study in 150 programs offered around the world. The 8 area studies programs are stellar examples of interdisciplinary innovation in education. Students are also encouraged to undertake service learning activities, combining learning with hands-on community service; many courses on campus include service-learning components.
UW–Madison has the UW–System’s largest concentration of graduate, professional, and research programs, as well as the broadest array of undergraduate majors offered. Academic programs offered include 136 majors, 155 master’s, 110 doctoral programs, and a broad range of professional schools. The enrollment of 40,466 students includes 28,462 undergraduates, 8,832 graduate students, 2,579 professional students, and 1,593 special students; 6300 undergraduate and 3300 graduate and professional degrees are awarded annually. UW–Madison ranks second nationally in Ph.D.s awarded. The university employs 16,225 people, including 2,053 faculty, and 14,172 research, instructional, and support staff. It has an annual operating budget of $2.2 billion.
The entire campus community is motivated by a tradition known as the “Wisconsin Idea,” described by UW President Charles Van Hise in 1904 as the compelling need to carry “the beneficent influence of the university … to every home in the state.” The Wisconsin Idea permeates the university’s work and helps forge close working relationships between the campus and the state’s industries and government.
Location
The university is located in Madison, Wisconsin, a thriving Midwestern city built upon its twin foundations as a state capital and home to the university. With a population of more than 220,000, Madison is consistently ranked one of America’s finest places to live, including making the top-ten lists for most livable cities, best college towns and best green communities. The 2007 Kaplan/Newsweek “How to Get Into College Guide” rated UW–Madison as “America’s hottest big state school.” The UW–Madison’s highly competitive athletic program plays a central role in university life and strengthens its connection to the community and the state of Wisconsin.
Statutory Responsibilities
As executive head of the institution, the chancellor is vested with the responsibility of administering board of regents policies under the coordinating direction of the president of the University of Wisconsin System, and is accountable and reports to the president and the board on the operation and administration of the institution. Subject to board policy, the chancellor, in consultation with the faculty, is responsible for designing curricula and setting degree requirements; determining academic standards and establishing grading systems; defining and administering institutional standards for faculty peer evaluation and screening candidates for appointment, promotion, and tenure; recommending individual merit increases; administering associated auxiliary services; and administering all funds, from whatever source, allocated, generated, or intended for use by the institution.
Desired Qualifications
UW–Madison seeks a chancellor with the capacity to lead an energetic Research I land-grant institution within a large and dynamic public higher education system. Candidates will be evaluated on the following professional and personal characteristics:
- Personal commitment to scholarly values and an understanding of the diverse missions of a major public research university, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional instruction, research, public service, and outreach.
- Academic or equivalent professional accomplishments, including:
- Academic scholarship and teaching credentials and accomplishments, or equivalent professional credentials and accomplishments, which will command the respect of the academic community. The chancellor must be tenurable at the rank of professor at UW–Madison;
- A successful record of leadership, including experience in higher education or equivalent professional administration.
- Commitment to promote continued success in securing funding for the university
through:
- Federal, state, and other grants and contracts;
- Alumni development and fund raising;
- Ongoing reinvestment of revenues derived from research patents and licenses.
- Outstanding leadership qualities, including:
- Personal integrity, intellectual curiosity, compassion, resilience, and energy;
- A personal commitment to issues of diversity and inclusion;
- A collaborative leadership style that emphasizes openness and fairness;
- A commitment to Wisconsin’s strong tradition of shared governance, which includes active participation in policy-making by faculty, staff, and students;
- Desire and ability to advance the university’s mission in undergraduate and graduate programs; to provide leadership and support to the faculty in teaching, scholarship, public service; to link the curriculum to the needs of the people of Wisconsin; and to extend a strong research commitment and focus;
- Ability to provide leadership to faculty, staff, administrators, students, and other constituents in implementing the current and future strategic plans;
- Demonstrated leadership in national higher educational organizations.
- Talent and energy to build broad support for the institution at local, state,
national, and international levels, including:
- The ability to represent the institution and work effectively with its many partners, including the board of regents, president and administration of the University of Wisconsin System, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, the UW Foundation, UW Research Park, community and business leaders, other educational institutions at the secondary and post-secondary levels, alumni, media, and federal and state legislative offices and other governmental bodies;
- The ability to work collegially with the other UW System chancellors.
- A commitment to improve continually the university experience for students,
faculty, and staff, including:
- Enhancing the climate and support for scholarly excellence;
- Improving the inclusiveness of the campus community to promote the appreciation of diversity;
- Enhancing the quality of student life and strengthening the delivery of services to students;
- Enhancing educational opportunities through appropriate use of new technologies;
- Enhancing the diversity of students, faculty, and staff;
- Demonstrated commitment to equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and non-discriminatory practices.
- A commitment to the university’s responsibility for public service through
dissemination of the results of scholarly and scientific inquiry, including:
- Support of the faculty mission of public service that benefits the state, nation, and the world;
- Ability and interest in promoting the state of Wisconsin’s economic development, through educational programs and knowledge and technology transfer;
- Support of the Wisconsin Idea;
- Understanding of, and interest in, implementing appropriate use of new technologies to improve continuing education and outreach.
Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The position is available 1 September 2008.
Nomination/Application Process
Nominations and applications must be received by 28 March 2008 to ensure consideration. Later applications and nominations may also be considered. The committee particularly encourages applications and nominations of women and persons of underrepresented groups.
Anyone can submit nominations by forwarding names and contact information to the address below.
Applications from candidates should include a letter of interest that addresses how the candidate’s strengths and experience match the qualifications for the position, what s/he sees as challenges and opportunities, and a current and complete curriculum vitae. Upon request, candidates will be asked to provide the names and contact information of at least five references. These may include trustees, administrators, faculty, students, and community leaders.
Nominations and applications, as well as requests for information should be directed to:
Professor Marsha Mailick Seltzer, chair
Chancellor Search and Screen Committee
133 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706-1380
chancellorsearch@bascom.wisc.edu
608/262-1677
Confidential FAX: 608/265-7806
In accordance with Wisconsin’s open records law, written requests for confidentiality by nominees and applicants will be honored, except that names and titles of the finalists will be released.
Confidential inquiries may also be directed to the search consultant retained by the committee:
James P. Ferrare, president
Academic Search Inc.
1825 K Street NW, Suite 705
Washington, D.C. 20006
jpf@academic-search.com
202/263-7472
FAX: 202/234-7640
The University Wisconsin is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer