UMass Amherst Alumni Association

News

A Letter from University of Massachusetts
President Jack M. Wilson

July 25, 2007

A letter to the UMass Amherst Alumni/ae community,

Several of you have emailed, written, or called with thoughts and ideas about the future of our great University and I sincerely appreciate this opportunity for dialogue.  I want to invite further and broader participation of the alumni/ae of UMass Amherst whose support for the University has, and will be, key to supporting ongoing enhancements, special projects, and even greater excellence on the campus.

As you know, last week, Chancellor Lombardi accepted the position of President of the Louisiana State University system.  I would like to thank the Chancellor for his service and contributions to the University of Massachusetts and wish him well in his new position. I believe we can move forward together to build on the progress you and Chancellor Lombardi created to further advance Amherst. I am committed to working together to reach our shared aspirations for a world-class University that is distinguished by a strong flagship campus at Amherst—characterized by new levels of academic excellence and engagement with society's economic and social challenges.  

Last week I met with representatives from the Faculty Union, and earlier this week I met with the Faculty Rules Committee, the deans, with others on campus, and with Alumni Association President, Kathleen Mitchell (Amherst ’79), to hear feedback and invite nominations for the search committee charged with selecting the next chancellor of the Amherst campus.  As we begin to constitute the most broadly representative search committee possible, Chairman Tocco has invited Ms. Mitchell to serve as a member of the search committee and she has accepted.  I welcome from the community nominations for chancellor candidates or any ideas you may have about the characteristics and qualifications that a successful candidate should possess.  We will convey this feedback to the search committee once it is fully empanelled and convened.  You may be aware that the chairman has appointed Trustee Jennifer Braceras (Amherst ’89) to chair the search committee.  I would like to thank Trustee Braceras for her willingness to serve her alma mater in this way.

In order to ensure that the campus is well-stewarded as we move through this transition, I will be appointing an accomplished and strong leader within the next couple of weeks to serve as an interim chancellor.  I have been consulting with the board and faculty leadership to gather information and suggestions about choosing the interim and can say that I am very pleased with both the number and the caliber of candidates who have come forward to express their interest in the position.  I will continue to meet with faculty, students, alumni, and staff in the weeks and months ahead.  I hope that many of you will take time to convey your ideas and opinions through the following channels: 

1. ·          We have established a website where you can read answers to the most frequently asked questions about recent events and share your feedback about next steps for the University. www.massachusetts.edu/excellence
2. ·          Send e-mail to me at presidentwilson@umassp.edu

I want to underscore the commitment the Trustees and I share to work together with you to achieve the full potential of our flagship campus at Amherst and each of our campuses. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to make the University of Massachusetts great.

Sincerely,

Jack M. Wilson