News
Interim Chancellor Mark Nook addresses the university on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009.
Admin. optimistic after picking up the pieces
The Pointer
ajuhn217@uwsp.edu
Two University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point administrations are looking forward to this school year after previously detrimental leaders.
After last year’s Student Government Association’s vote of no confidence of former Chancellor Linda Bunnell, Mark Nook, interim chancellor, is determined to continue to build strong relationships between the administration and campus organizations.
“The energy that I see being displayed by the new administration for student government is very similar to the energy that we find in the administration with the changeover of some of the interim positions,” said Laura Ketchum-Cifti, director of the University Centers and staff advisor to SGA. “Being a new year, it’s an excellent time for hopefully growth and looking at some of the things that need to be accomplished… It’s perfect timing to have the synergy all tied together into one.”
Nook will continue to be as visible to students as he was as provost. “I am intending to be around out walking. I did it as provost. That wont change,” he said.
“I think the thing that I have really worked to do and to build as the provost was a very open and honest dialogue with whatever groups I needed to work with and wanted to work with,” said Nook. “I think I have established a reputation as someone who will be open and honest about issues. Not try to hide things or spring things on people.”
Nook said his relationships with campus groups and organizations were already positive before he stepped into the interim chancellor role.
Scott Asbach, SGA president, said, “We will get everything done. I think the biggest thing that people will be happy with is the change in attitude.”
“I think the biggest first step that we can make and that everyone in general will be happy with is just our relationships,” said Asbach. “Building those bridges back up again that happen to have been torn down. I think that will be the biggest thing.”
Nook plans to attend sporting events, eat in Debot at least once a week and be more accessible to SGA. Asbach said there will be regular communication between administration and student governance through cabinet meetings.
“I think that definitely helps, so it’s not just this administration off in the distance. So it kind of connects people. That will be nice. I think students will really appreciate that,” said Asbach.
Asbach said SGA will be working on a few things right away, including how SGA will handle naming after student deaths, making the campus smoke free and improving bike rental and the quality of bike racks on campus.
Nook is most concerned about the stress level of those students whose parents don’t have jobs and did a year ago.
“Some of their parents are being laid off or at least hours are being cut. So a 5.5 percent increase is a burden on our students as well. It’s sort of a two-face animal. In one respect it makes it possible for us to run the university at the level we’d like to and another we know its putting more impositions onto our students and making their lives a little more difficult to manage as well,” said Nook.
He said he and the university can work around the edges of issues like these through strategic planning and thinking carefully about the future.
“It looks to me like we have the resources we need to continue to offer the curriculum that students expect and need.”
When Nook was moved up to interim chancellor, there was a bit of office antics to fill all of the vacancies. Or as Nook called it at the State of the University Address, “Who’s in what office?”
Jeff Morin, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication is serving as the interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. In Morin’s place is the communication department head Jim Haney. The interim department head of the communication department is now professor Gerard McKenna.
Although it may seem that things have just began to fall into place, the search for a permanent chancellor has already commenced. An article in the Stevens Point Journal has reported the university may begin soliciting nominations for the search and screen committee expected to be named in early October.
The committee will consist of at least 19 members, mostly UWSP faculty, but will also include academic staff, administrators, the UW System, students, alumni, donors and other community members. The goal is to be as diverse and represent as much of the campus as possible.
Nook has not disclosed if he will be applying for the position. “If my name is in the search it can impede certain people from applying.” “To be fair to those people that serve on the search committee because it puts a lot of pressure on them if the interim is or is not in the search. And to be fair to the people who might apply.”
He will not be serving on the search and screen either.
“A year from now we will have a new chancellor,” said Nook.
“I am very excited about the year. There are some real challenges out there that we are going to have to deal with. Challenges are just opportunities. We find solutions, we don’t find compromises.”
