Interim UW-La Crosse chancellor Morgan summed up her reaction to Gow firing quoting Charlie Berens: ‘Oh, geez.’

UW-La Crosse is starting 2024 with a different person in charge than when the campus closed for Christmas.

The sudden firing of Chancellor Joe Gow at the end of December elevated provost Betsy Morgan to the position of interim chancellor.

On Wednesday, Morgan welcomed faculty members back to campus for spring classes, saying that, like other people, she had been surprised to learn that Gow was dismissed for making porn.

She summed up her reaction with a quote from comedian Charlie Berens: “Oh, geez.”

Morgan said the controversy is starting to fade in the media and elsewhere.

“The jokes will die down,” she told university staffers and others at a student union meeting Wednesday. “That hasn’t quite happened yet.”

Morgan added that Gow will not be teaching at UW-L this semester.

Gow had planned to step down as chancellor this year and resume teaching. He does have tenure.

Morgan has been with the university for 30 years and said it was an easy decision when she was asked to serve as acting chancellor.

“I do love the people here, ” she said. “I know the university. It was just the obvious step, right? And I’m happy to provide the stability and take us into the future.”

Candidates for the chancellor’s job are being screened now, and finalists are expected to visit La Crosse before spring break.