UW-L chancellor says focus should remain, as regents look at new trend in hiring

System formed panel, could hire from private sector, like other colleges. 

The regents say hiring from the private sector at other colleges is becoming a trend.

The University of Wisconsin System could be seeing a change in the way institutions hire their leaders.

The regents has formed a new panel to work on filling top positions with more people who don’t have ties to academia.

UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow has heard at least one reason why they’d like to see this change.

“There’s a feeling that maybe the search process, particularly for chancellors like me, takes a little too long,” Gow said. “I think it’s always good to do things expeditiously.

“So, if there’s a better way to move things along, that’s certainly worth considering.”

The regents say hiring from the private sector at other colleges is becoming a trend.

Gow, however, says the focus should remain the same.

“We are here to educate students,” Gow said, “and so I think certainly it’s essential that anybody has the job that I have understands that that’s the most important thing – education and personal development.”

Gow also believes there are some things that a person who runs a business would find challenging without an academic background.

“There are also elements of it where people are more like a church, where people are very mission driven,” Gow said. “There are also elements of it where people are more political, kind of like a mayor in the role of a small city.”