2008 Woodie Awards
The big question
Massachusetts Daily Collegian editorial board
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: Editorial / Opinion
Chin up, UMass students. There's an important chancellor search going on right underneath your noses.
On Friday, April 11, four finalists were chosen from a pool of over 100 applicants to fill the spot of Interim Chancellor Thomas Cole, who has been in his position since John V. Lombardi's departure last fall.
The candidates are Martin Hall, deputy vice chancellor of the University of Cape Town in South Africa; Harris Pastides, vice president for research and health sciences at the University of South Carolina and executive director of the University of South Carolina Research Foundation; Robert C. Holub, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and Satish K. Tripathi, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Each of the four candidates visited the campus over the past 10 days, speaking with administrators, faculty, students and community members in extensive question and answer sessions.
Martin Hall presented himself as a leader focused on affordability, frank dialogue and attention to detail. His commitment to social justice and diversity is not just lip service; in an earlier position at the University of Cape Town, he led innovative efforts to overcome prejudice among faculty members and transform the student body to be more reflective of the South African population.
Satish Tripathi, currently provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York at Buffalo, foresees a well-rounded university. He said a truly educational undergraduate experience should combine formal curriculum and extracurricular activities.
Harris Pastides spoke mostly of the University's need to pursue funding through three major vectors - philanthropy, public-private partnerships and government endowments. A former administrator in the School of Public Health, Pastides said that "the stack of cards this University has is people," citing UMass's active student body, able faculty and involved community members.
Robert C. Holub said he was attracted to "a campus that wants to move forward," and hopes to improve UMass's reputation and prestige by increasing state and donor funding and attracting "high-achieving, ambitious students." He has a long background in public higher education, including more than two decades at the elite University of California, Berkeley, and he stressed the need to learn more about UMass by engaging with students and faculty.
Many are unsure exactly what a chancellor does, other than attend events and play "Man in the High Castle up on the Hilltop," the chancellor's house. It is important that UMass students be involved in the process, though, if for no other reason than the hefty sum you'll be paying for his salary.
Former chancellor Lombardi, who left last fall because of ideological differences between him and UMass system President Jack Wilson, earned a $347,500 base salary and a $24,325 annuity in 2007.
Are you listening now?
Chancellors serve as the figurehead of a university, guiding general policy decisions, handling unsightly public relations crises and representing a university to prospective donors and research partners. Only the most ardent micro-manager could effect change in each department of a public institution dramatically. It is the chancellor's job, however, to set the priorities of a university - economically, culturally and academically.
Students who have observed the candidates or followed The Collegian's coverage of the selection process should e-mail thoughts and suggestions to skelly@umassp.edu.
Make yourself heard. This is a $400,000 question.
Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian editorial board.
On Friday, April 11, four finalists were chosen from a pool of over 100 applicants to fill the spot of Interim Chancellor Thomas Cole, who has been in his position since John V. Lombardi's departure last fall.
The candidates are Martin Hall, deputy vice chancellor of the University of Cape Town in South Africa; Harris Pastides, vice president for research and health sciences at the University of South Carolina and executive director of the University of South Carolina Research Foundation; Robert C. Holub, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and Satish K. Tripathi, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Each of the four candidates visited the campus over the past 10 days, speaking with administrators, faculty, students and community members in extensive question and answer sessions.
Martin Hall presented himself as a leader focused on affordability, frank dialogue and attention to detail. His commitment to social justice and diversity is not just lip service; in an earlier position at the University of Cape Town, he led innovative efforts to overcome prejudice among faculty members and transform the student body to be more reflective of the South African population.
Satish Tripathi, currently provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York at Buffalo, foresees a well-rounded university. He said a truly educational undergraduate experience should combine formal curriculum and extracurricular activities.
Harris Pastides spoke mostly of the University's need to pursue funding through three major vectors - philanthropy, public-private partnerships and government endowments. A former administrator in the School of Public Health, Pastides said that "the stack of cards this University has is people," citing UMass's active student body, able faculty and involved community members.
Robert C. Holub said he was attracted to "a campus that wants to move forward," and hopes to improve UMass's reputation and prestige by increasing state and donor funding and attracting "high-achieving, ambitious students." He has a long background in public higher education, including more than two decades at the elite University of California, Berkeley, and he stressed the need to learn more about UMass by engaging with students and faculty.
Many are unsure exactly what a chancellor does, other than attend events and play "Man in the High Castle up on the Hilltop," the chancellor's house. It is important that UMass students be involved in the process, though, if for no other reason than the hefty sum you'll be paying for his salary.
Former chancellor Lombardi, who left last fall because of ideological differences between him and UMass system President Jack Wilson, earned a $347,500 base salary and a $24,325 annuity in 2007.
Are you listening now?
Chancellors serve as the figurehead of a university, guiding general policy decisions, handling unsightly public relations crises and representing a university to prospective donors and research partners. Only the most ardent micro-manager could effect change in each department of a public institution dramatically. It is the chancellor's job, however, to set the priorities of a university - economically, culturally and academically.
Students who have observed the candidates or followed The Collegian's coverage of the selection process should e-mail thoughts and suggestions to skelly@umassp.edu.
Make yourself heard. This is a $400,000 question.
Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian editorial board.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Innocent Bystander
posted 4/24/08 @ 10:01 AM EST
Only $400,000?
Scott Harris
posted 4/24/08 @ 11:27 AM EST
I support Robert Holub.
Andrew F
posted 4/24/08 @ 1:11 PM EST
I have an idea. As a cost-cutting measure, the figurehead position (i.e. chancellor) could be outsourced. Many important roles on campus, from tech support to security, are handled by students. (Continued…)
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