Over the next two months, the Alumni Association will host six receptions with Chancellor Jim Woodward. He’ll take your questions about recent events at NC State, the transition to new leadership and the future of the university.
The first is Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Matthews House in Cary. The others are:
Winston-Salem, Thursday, Oct. 1, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Ryan’s Restaurant
Raleigh, Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center
Greensboro, Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Magnolia Room at the Emerald Event Center
Charlotte, Monday, Nov. 2, at 12 p.m. at the Morehead Inn
Huntersville, Monday, Nov. 2, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Northstone Country Club
What qualifications and characteristics do you want to see in the next chancellor of NC State? Tell us! You can leave feedback in the comments section of this post or on our Facebook page. You can also e-mail us at alumniblog@gw.ncsu.edu or fill out the university’s feedback form on the Chancellor Search page. We’ll deliver everything we receive to the search committee. One member of that committee is Lynn Daniel ’74, president of the NC State Alumni Association Board of Directors; feel free to e-mail him, too, at lynndaniel@thedanielgroup.com.
The committee is also holding public forums throughout the afternoon of Wednesday, August 26, at Talley Student Center. An evening session will be at the McKimmon Center.
The university’s Chancellor Search Committee is planning open forums on Wednesday, Aug. 26, for students, staff, faculty, alumni and the general public. These listening sessions are an opportunity for members of the NC State community to share what they’re looking for in a new chancellor. Locations and times are:
Talley Student Center, Stewart Theater, 12:30 p.m. (staff), 2 p.m. (faculty) and 3:30 p.m. (students).
Jane S. McKimmon Center, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (alumni, local elected officials and local residents).
Though each forum is targeted at a specific group, anyone can attend any of the forums. If you can’t make it, comments and questions can be sent to the committee at chancellor_search@ncsu.edu. Learn more about the search and provide feedback at the university’s Chancellor Search page.
Today is the deadline to send us your questions for Chancellor Jim Woodward, who’ll be the first subject for our “Seven Questions With” feature. You have until 5 p.m. to send us your questions. We’ll post his responses next week.
You can submit a question in the comments section of this post or by e-mailing us at alumniblog@gw.ncsu.edu. And don’t forget about our Open Thread, where you can post your thoughts on Chancellor Oblinger’s resignation and the related events.
This weekend The N&O ran a lengthy account of what NC State’s search for its next permanent chancellor may look like. Robert B. Jordan III ’54, chair of the NC State Board of Trustees, hopes to announce the search committee at the board’s next meeting, scheduled for July 14. Here’s what Jordan told NC State magazine last week on the topic:
On the search
We will be working very rapidly to set up a search committee. We will work with a staff person or adviser out of the UNC Board of Governors, which will be very much involved in it. We will be looking at who makes up the search committee. . . . There is a standard procedure and a format in place to be sure that as many parties as possible — faculty, all the different parts of the administration and staff — all have representation. You need to have a series of open sessions on campus and other places to let people come in. That takes a little while. . . . It’s something that will [consider] people all over the U.S. (more…)
Two members of the NC State Board of Trustees — Suzanne Gordon ’75 and Robert B. Jordan III ’54 — answered questions from NC State magazine about what they might have done differently and where they go from here following the resignations of Chancellor James. L. Oblinger and Provost Larry Nielsen.
Suzanne Gordon ’75, second vice chair of the NC State Board of Trustees, answered these questions by e-mail Wednesday. She’s chief information officer and vice president of information technology at SAS.
Looking back, is there anything you think the board could have done differently?
I believe both the Board of Trustees and the university’s lawyers need to be more aware of how any action might in any way be or appear to be a violation of ethics. Retrospectively, the board could have been more aggressive in questioning the background process that led to the hire [of Mary Easley].
What steps will the board take to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again?
This topic will be discussed at the next set of board meetings [scheduled for July 14 via phone and Sept. 11]. One idea is to appoint an ethics “watchdog” board member or committee.
How does the board plan to address concerns raised about the salary packages and the Retreat to Faculty policy?
These longer retreat packages were initiated in much better economic times. When the economy changed we definitely should have been more sensitive and downsized the retreat packages in the same way that many programs and departments at NC State have downsized financially in the current economic climate. The board definitely needs to be more involved in these types of issues and this would fall under the purview of the Academic and Affairs Committee. I believe you will see reviews of all retreat packages added to this committee’s duties. It’s something that will come up at the next set of board meetings.
——————————————————————————– Robert B. Jordan III ’54 , chair of the NC State Board of Trustees, spoke with us Thursday afternoon. Jordan is president of Jordan Lumber and Supply and was lieutenant governor of North Carolina from 1985 to 1989. This is an edited transcript .
What are the Board of Trustees’ top priorities now?
First let me say that all this publicity has certainly bothered NC State alumni and I’m sure maybe the general public from the standpoint as to whether we’re spending money wisely. But in no way has it detracted from the fact of what this university means and what’s going on there—the training of students, the research and what Centennial Campus means to North Carolina. So the university is in real good shape in doing the things it’s doing.
What’s evolved here is that [the Board of Trustees] is looking at some of the things that should have been done differently, and what’s evolved here is a reassessment of how the Board of Trustees is going to react and how information is going to be shared. . . . I’m worried about getting our image straightened out and our procedures straightened out, but I’m really optimistic about where the university is going.
Bill Friday ’41, president emeritus of the UNC System, spoke this week with NC State magazine after the resignations of Chancellor James L. Oblinger and Provost Larry Nielsen. Here are excerpts from the interview.
On the resignations
Any time you have the two principal administrative officers stepping aside that can’t be characterized as anything but a tragedy. . . . See, NC State has an enormous opportunity to lead North Carolina in some very critical times, and that’s why getting these two principal positions filled is a matter of real urgency.
On lessons learned
You have to reconstitute the leadership and that means the Board of Trustees itself has got to be a lot more active and more attentive to what’s happening on campus and give their time and energy to make sure we all have the strength to muster to get the job done. . . . It’s just necessary now in a time like this to take a look at ourselves and see what we can do better.
On what’s next
I want to be very clear on something. I believe NC State is a strong institution and has an enormous reservoir of academic power and leadership. And while this does hurt, we’re not the first institution to have some hurtful experiences. This will heal. This is the time when you gather strength to heal the wound and move on, and that’s what I am counting on happening now.
As you are aware, the recent economic downturn has caused a substantial reduction in the financial support the University has received from the state and a substantial reduction in the support we expect to receive in the coming years. In an effort to address this loss of funding, the University will eliminate or severely reduce some of the programs it offers. Programs that you were hired to administer or in which you were expected to participate are among those that will be eliminated or severely reduced. Accordingly, and after taking into consideration the advice of the North Carolina State University Board of Trustees provided on June 8, 2009, I have decided to terminate your contract as of close of business on June 10, 2009.
I regret the necessity of this action. Of course, should you have any questions about your insurance and retirement contributions, please contact the Benefits office directly at 515-2151.
Chancellor Jim Woodward spoke with us earlier today about alumni, NC State’s image and the work that’s ahead.
What’s your message to alumni? [T]he NC State that our alums came to love is the same NC State. And it is because the university is principally defined by its faculty and staff—those who do the work of the university. That faculty and staff today is still the outstanding faculty and staff it was a week ago. So, alums, know that this is still the institution that you love and that you have been and should be proud of.
No matter what one thinks of how this situation came about, it’s obvious that NC State’s image has taken a hit. How can it be repaired? The image of a university is developed over a long period of time and is based principally on the good work it does. There is no question that the image has taken a hit as a result of these events over the last several months. That can be dealt with. That will dissipate if we keep our eye on why we exist as a university and do good work. Having said that, it’s important that I, as the new interim chancellor, reinforce to all of our constituencies that we do good work and that, furthermore, we are a well-administered university that understands it is owned by the people of North Carolina, and we must be transparent to those who represent the people. That includes the political leadership, certainly, but it also includes the media.
With the budget crisis and other issues, your job is going to be different from that of a “typical” interim chancellor. How are you going to approach those challenges? I guess this is a unique appointment in that I had nearly a day and a half notice before I showed up on campus. (more…)
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