May 6th, 2015
By Michael Riley

The long-standing idiom ‘passing the torch’ will become a reality this summer as UW-Whitewater has five finalists to replace the retiring Chancellor Richard Telfer.

UW System President Ray Cross announced the finalists last week Friday with each candidate participating in a series of campus and community forums so faculty, staff, students and Whitewater community members can meet and interact with them.

Every forum can be viewed by streaming it live online, and UW-Whitewater said they will post links with the finalists forums in the next week according to the university’s website.

Whitewater Student Government President Nathan Perry and DeJuan Washington are a part of the 21-member search and screen committee, chaired by Associate Professor Paul Ambrose who recommend the finalists to Cross and the UW System Board of Regents.

Perry said he hopes students get involved with the campus visits.

“I have given input throughout the entire process of the search,” he said. “Whether that be forming the interview questions, asking the questions or discussing which candidates move onto the next level.”

After the Whitewater visits, Cross and the Special Regent Committee will interview the finalists May 20 and recommend one candidate to the full Board of Regents.  The recommendation will be taken the following week and the 16th chancellor of UW-Whitewater will be announced.

Here are summaries of each candidate according to UW System:

Charles J. Fey is the vice president for Academic Support and Student Affairs at New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Beverly A. Kopper is the provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at UW-Whitewater.
Steven W. Runge is the executive vice rresident and provost at University of Central Arkansas.
Martin Tadlock is the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Bemidji State University.
Ramon S. Torrechilha is a professor of sociology & former Pprovost & vice president of Academic Affairs at California State University.

Perry said it is hard to say what the first order of business would be for the next chancellor, but has an idea who would be able to fulfill the position.
“A chancellor needs to have a few characteristics to do the job well,” he said. “They need to be visible, a good communicator, innovative, collaborative and a decision maker.”

Student Lauren Kats aided Perry and the search and screen committee by adding another student voice to the conversation.

She helped organize a diverse group of students to have lunch with each candidate and reported her observations to the committee.

“Knowing that I was able to have a say in who will lead this university for the next 20 years makes me very grateful to the university,” she said. “I was very fortunate and excited to have been chosen for this unique opportunity because it carries such great weight and importance.”