Emmert re-interviews Spakes

Kayla Webley
2005-01-04
The Daily

After a long stretch of applicants and interviews UW Tacoma may finally get a permanent chancellor this week.

After receiving the UW Tacoma chancellor search committee's final recommendations, UW President Mark Emmert called Patricia Spakes, the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania in for a second interview. Spakes was the only candidate of the five finalists selected by the committee to be interviewed a second time.

"President Emmert has, in agreement with the committee, started negotiations with [Spakes]," said Ginger MacDonald, professor and director of Education at UW Tacoma and co-chair of the chancellor search committee. "She was brought back for a second interview because she is seen as the top candidate at this point. She is a very promising leader and the committee would agree that she is an excellent choice as chancellor."

Spakes has also served as vice president for academic affairs at Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts and as vice provost for academic affairs at Arizona State University West.

Though Emmert said he plans to speak more with Spakes this week, he affirmed other finalists are still in the running.

"[Spakes] is the only one we brought in for a second visit, although there is a number of qualified people in the pool," said Emmert. "We have not closed off our options at this point."

The search committee had originally set Jan. 1 as their target date to have the chancellor named. Search committee members are expecting Emmert's decision any day now, said Bruce Bare, dean of Forest Resources at UW and co-chair of the search committee.

Emmert "wants to get [the chancellor appointed]...in a matter of a few days, not weeks," Bare said. "Lots of work needs to be done. I think the president wants someone here, the sooner the better."

Emmert said he hoped to complete the necessary steps get a chancellor appointed as soon as possible.

"I am hoping to be in the position announce some progress before the week is over," said Emmert. "I'm not sure that we can get a decision finalized this week but I'd like to."

Each candidate, for part of the interview process, described the future of UW Tacoma. In a public forum, in front of attendees at UW Tacoma, they answered a question about their vision for the school's next 10 years.

According to MacDonald, all candidates discussed the opportunities and challenges facing UW Tacoma in transitioning from a two-year upper division campus to a four-year institution. Finalists also discussed state funding issues and furthering UW Tacoma's mission.

"They all, but Patricia Spakes especially, talked about the mission for us as an urban university," said MacDonald. "Part of our mission is to make a university education accessible to people who would not otherwise have it."

Other candidates include Michael Field, vice provost for academic affairs and provost at Shawnee State University in Ohio, Thomas Krepel, president of Chadron State College in Nebraska, John Miller, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Eastern Oregon University and Steven Olswang, UW vice provost and interim chancellor of UW Tacoma.

Emmert said he is confident whomever he chooses will be fully qualified and eager to lead UW Tacoma into the future.

"I am very pleased with the process. The search committee did a fine job," said Emmert. "All the candidates were very excited about UW Tacoma -- they saw the talent and opportunity there."