THE FACTS: The University named Randy Woodson, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at Purdue University, to be the new chancellor Jan. 8. after several months of a closed search.
OUR OPINION: If Chancellor-elect Woodson wants to strengthen the University and repair its tarnished image, transparency must be his top priority.
The search for the new chancellor has ended, as Randy Woodson, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at Purdue University, accepted the nomination for the position. Yet despite all the excitement about having a new chancellor, it’s easy to overlook the fact that this search was conducted behind closed doors.
Given the fact that James Oblinger, the previous chancellor, resigned amidst a storm of scandals, hidden e-mails and backroom deals, transparency is something the University desperately needed. And while interim Chancellor Jim Woodward has been a welcome breath of fresh air in terms of transparency and communication, the search for a permanent chancellor was an unfortunate and unacceptable display of secrecy.
Particularly in light of the Mary Easley scandal and the wave of resignations, transparency should remain the number one requirement for the new chancellor. Despite the chancellor search being conducted with little to no communication with the very students and faculty the position affects, the top priority of the chancellor should be throwing open the doors and keeping everyone — students, faculty, alumni and business partners — informed about the state of N.C. State and the operations of the University.
Students want a chancellor who is honest and keeps students informed — there’s nothing worse than hearing about a new fee increase from a chancellor than having such an increase without any rationale or explanation of the benefits the fees will bring. Nor do students want to hear about spouses of former governors receiving cushy jobs at the University with a hefty paycheck without hearing about exactly what this person will actually do to improve the University.
The new chancellor can learn from the mistakes of the previous administration or he can repeat them. If Chancellor-elect Woodson wants to live up to his reputation of being an out-and-about administrator and repair some of the damage to the University’s reputation, he should endeavor to be out on the campus and building bridges with students and faculty, not barriers.
Let’s hope the search for the University’s 14th chancellor leads to many happy and productive years — it all depends on how much Chancellor-elect Woodson values open, honest communication with the people who attend and work at our outstanding academic institution.
