10.15.2009 | by Chris Richter | Filed under Academics, Administration, Campus News, NC State in the News | Comments: No responses |
Below is the roundtable discussion and Q&A with Chancellor Jim Woodward from the Autumn 2009 issue of NC State magazine. A pdf version is also available.
Taking a Hard Look
A conversation about NC State’s culture
Three top university officials step down in May and June, after an investigation of a former governor raises questions about a job created for his wife. The chancellor in the interim pledges to create a culture of openness and transparency. The chair of the Board of Trustees appoints a committee to review what happened. Alumni send in letters from all over the world, expressing disappointment and support and asking questions.
Time for some soul-searching.
We asked Chancellor Jim Woodward about his perceptions of the university and plans for moving forward. (See end.) We also asked a group of six people—each with a unique perspective on the events of this summer—to come together in the Park Alumni Center for a freewheeling discussion about the university’s culture, media relations, governance and more.
The participants were: William C. Friday ’41, president emeritus of the UNC System; Suzanne Gordon ’75, chief information officer of SAS and former second vice chair of the NC State Board of Trustees; Dwuan June ’90, assistant news editor at The Washington Post and former editor of Technician; Billy Maddalon ’90, co-owner of Unique Southern Properties and former chair of the Alumni Association Board of Directors; Jim Martin, a chemistry professor and former chair of the NC State Faculty Senate; and Art Padilla ’69, ’71 MS, an expert on leadership in higher education and head of NC State’s Department of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. An edited transcript of their Aug. 4 conversation follows.
—Rebecca Morphis
NC State: Does what happened here recently indicate something about our culture at NC State?
Friday: [I] think what we’ve been going through is a phenomenon that has happened across the country. I mean by that, the intrusion of politics into the life of an academic enterprise. For example, in the state of Illinois this very week, the Board of Trustees there is being asked to resign. Some of them [were appointed] by a previous governor who is now in prison, and [his successor], who is going to go to prison, apparently. The whole thing shows you what politics can do when you get to tampering with the administrative structure of an institution.
I’m not alleging anything here in North Carolina. I don’t know what the true facts will turn out to be. But we do know that rigidity on this point is very critical to the life of a university. A public institution is of the public process, to be sure. We are a creature of the state. We are financed by the state. We serve the state. But that is far and away a role quite different from being in the political life of the state. [Y]ou step across the line once in any substantive way and you’re in trouble, because there’s always the second time, and a third time, and a fourth time, as Illinois is showing you right now. [There are all kinds of questions that remain to be resolved.] So that’s the role of the trustees. Their job is to maintain that posture of open, free inquiry and involvement. (more…)
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07.16.2009 | by Chris Richter | Filed under Alumni News, Campus Events, Campus News, College of Engineering, College of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty News, NC State in the News, Sports, Student News | Comments: No responses |
NC State holds campus budget forum for students, faculty and staff (PowerPoint available). . . . UNC System might have to raise raise tuition, the N&O reports. . . . Former provost Larry Nielsen meets with grand jury. . . Interim provost and vet school dean Dr. Warwick Arden named president of Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. . . . Aerospace engineering Ph.D. student building autonomous glider with a goal of a 141.7-mile cross country flight without human intervention. . . . Director of College of Engineering’s K-12 outreach program wins presidential award. . . . Former Wolfpack baseball star Aaron Bates ’07 makes a splash in his first games with the Boston Red Sox. . . . Technician covers the opening of the Lonnie Poole Golf Course. . . . Wolfpack golfer Brad Revell says practicing with roommate, friend and national champion Matt Hill “shows you what you need to do.” . . . Monty Montegue ’80, design principal at BOLT Group, discusses creativity and innovation in business on WFAE’s Charlotte Talks. . . . Former NC State women’s basketball assistant coach named president of the board of the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.
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07.15.2009 | by Cherry Crayton | Filed under Campus News, NC State in the News | Comments: No responses |
Some highlights from yesterday’s NC State Board of Trustees’ meeting:
- The board elected S. Lawrence Davenport ’65 as chair, Cassius S. Williams ’69 as first vice chair, Barbara H. Mulkey ’77, ’84 mse as second vice chair and Steve F. Warren ’68 as secretary. Read their bios.
- Exiting chair Bob Jordan ’54 announced a 19-person search committee for a chancellor and announced that a private search firm will help in the process. Jordan will serve as chair of the committee.
- Chancellor in the interim Jim Woodward announced the areas he would focus on during his time at NC State: growing research opportunities, the new chancellor’s residence, a new student union, and the university’s fund-raising structure.
- The new board chair, S. Lawrence Davenport ’65, announced that a five-person ad hoc committee composed of trustees will review the events that led to the resignations of Chancellor James L. Oblinger, Provost Larry Nielsen and board Chair McQueen Campbell ’93. Cassius S. Williams will serve as chair of the committee. Other members are Gayle S. Lanier ’82, Norris Tolson ’62, Jim Owens ’68, ’70 MT, ’73 PHD and Ben Jenkins ’68.
During the meeting, Davenport said this about the ad hoc committee:
“Our first action together [with the new board and officers] is to appoint an ad hoc committee to review the events of the last 9-12 months. . . . This is not an attempt to find fault or blame anyone but simply a chance to discuss and advise Chancellor Woodward on our policies and procedures in an effort to pinpoint where they failed. This committee will be coming to our full board with recommendations for changes in our process.”
(more…)
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07.02.2009 | by Cherry Crayton | Filed under Campus News, NC State in the News | Comments: No responses |
Following an announcement that Mary Easley will appeal her dismissal from NC State, Chancellor Jim Woodward met with editors and reporters at The N&O Wednesday and told them that he stood “behind his decision to eliminate Easley’s position” and that the university is “highly unlikely to negotiate a settlement with [the] former first lady” because “NCSU does not have the money for any settlement.”
Woodward added that
. . . Easley “had to know” that her husband, one of his top aides and a member of the university’s Board of Trustees played a role in the creation of her job.
“I think she was well aware of the efforts made on her behalf to get her a new job and a new contract,” Woodward said. “And those efforts were highly inappropriate.”
Woodward also addressed why former Chancellor James L. Oblinger and Provost Larry Nielsen, both who have resigned, will be able to return to faculty positions after a six-month study leave.
“Once you get tenure, it should be extremely hard to take away,” he said. He said their actions did not rise to that level.
While he knows that former Gov. [Mike] Easley helped orchestrate the creation of Mary Easley’s NCSU job in 2005, Woodward said he can’t find evidence of a quid pro quo.
“I can’t see where N.C. State got anything as a result of that,” he said. “What could the governor do that could bring some short-term benefit to N.C. State? I can’t identify anything.”
In an interview with us, Woodward further spoke on tenure:
I fully understand when people who read or hear about tenure, in some instances, say, “Gee, that’s not right.”
(more…)
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06.25.2009 | by Cherry Crayton | Filed under Campus News, NC State in the News | Comments: No responses |
Chancellor Jim Woodward was recently asked why James L. Oblinger and Larry Nielsen will be allowed to return to the faculty following a six-month study leave after resigning as chancellor and provost, respectively:
Standards for removing tenured personnel are high, Woodward said: There must be proof of incompetence, neglect of duty, or grievous misconduct.
“The wrongs that they have done, or might have done, that we have identified to date do not meet the standards that would have to be met,” Woodward said.
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06.19.2009 | by magintern | Filed under Red & White for Life blog, Week in Review | Comments: No responses |
The search for NC State’s next chancellor begins. . . . NC State deans release joint statement, outline foreseeable impacts of double-digit budget cuts. . . . Campus welcome event for interim Chancellor Jim Woodward. . . . Rare basketball tournament poster found in Reynolds Coliseum. . . . Former Chancellor James Oblinger appears before federal grand jury. . . . Former Provost Larry Nielsen’s pay package cut. . . . Alumnus, Iraq War vet ends mountain climb after 16,000 feet due to health concerns. . . . NC State student’s barrel monster draws national attention. . . . High school campers drop 50-pound ball of Silly Putty from top of D.H. Hill.
And don’t forget to visit our Photo of the Day page!
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06.16.2009 | by Chris Richter | Filed under Campus News | Comments: No responses |
The N&O is reporting that former Provost Larry Nielsen’s pay package has been cut. Chancellor Jim Woodward says in a letter to Nielsen:
My conclusion is that key elements of the May 13, 2009 letter are invalid. Chancellor Oblinger did not have the authority to fundamentally alter the contents of the employment agreement, the June 22, 2005 letter, without first getting approval of the Board of Trustees. This approval was not given nor was it sought.
You can read the entire letter here.
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06.12.2009 | by Cherry Crayton | Filed under Campus News, NC State in the News | Comments: One response |
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.
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06.05.2009 | by Cherry Crayton | Filed under Campus News, Faculty News | Comments: No responses |
From NC State News Services:
North Carolina State University Board of Trustees Chair Bob Jordan has asked Chancellor James Oblinger for a review of former provost Larry Nielsen’s salary package to determine its compliance with university rules.
“This type of transition package is widely used in academia,” Jordan said, “but these are extraordinary budgetary times. I am asking the chancellor to review the contract to ensure compliance with university policies, rules and regulations.”
The N&O reported on Larry Nielsen’s salary package on Thursday.
Update: The N&O ran a follow-up story on Larry Nielsen’s salary package on Sunday.
Update 2: The N&O ran another follow-up story on Larry Nielsen’s salary package on Monday. (More from Technician.) The NC State Board of Trustees will hold an emergency meeting at 2 p.m. Monday; the purpose of the meeting has not been reported.
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05.14.2009 | by Chris Richter | Filed under Campus News, College of Natural Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine | Comments: No responses |
Larry Nielsen resigned as NC State provost today, effective May 22, and will rejoin the faculty of the College of Natural Resources, where he was dean from 2001 to 2005. In his statement, Chancellor James L. Oblinger said:
The provost cited among his reasons for resigning the professional and personal anguish caused by continuing newspaper reports implying that his hiring of Mary Easley was done under pressure and improperly influenced by political motives. I have known Larry for eight years. I know him to be a good and honest person who is incapable of willfully damaging the integrity of North Carolina State University.
Chancellor Oblinger has written a letter to the editor of The News & Observer. Dr. Warwick Arden, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, will serve as interim provost, and the university will conduct a national search to fill the provost position.
Update: Watch Chancellor Oblinger’s 1 p.m. press conference at WRAL.com.
Update #2: Chair of NC State’s BOT resigns.
Update #3: Chancellor Oblinger tells a reporter at a groundbreaking that “it’s in the best interest of the university” that Easley resign.
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