Interim President Named
April 27, 2009
To the Williams Community,
At its recent meeting, the Board of Trustees received a report on the presidential search, which is proceeding in an orderly and productive manner. The community input process and the publishing of the presidential position prospectus have been completed. The Presidential Search Committee is now focused on the parallel tasks of continuing to add names to the candidate list while researching and narrowing the field. As part of this process, delegations of committee members have been meeting with select candidates and will continue to do so.
The committee has been operating on the possibility of having the new president in place by the time Morty Schapiro leaves at the end of June. The chance of that has become remote enough to enact an alternative plan. In anticipation of this possibility, the Board had charged its Executive Committee with developing such a plan. The Executive Committee, after deliberations and consultation with Morty, presented its recommendation to the trustees.
I am very happy therefore to announce that the Board voted unanimously to designate as Interim President Bill Wagner, Dean of the Faculty. He will begin on July 1 and serve for as long as needed.
Since the College Laws indicate that, between presidencies, the Dean of Faculty assume the responsibilities of the President, this appointment is a natural progression.
Williams is fortunate to be able to turn to someone as knowledgeable, experienced, and respected as Bill. In addition to his service as Dean of the Faculty, Bill has, in his 29 years at Williams, also served as Director of the Williams-Exeter Programme and has chaired the Department of History, the Committee on Educational Policy, Committee on Undergraduate Life, Committee on Priorities and Resources, and Faculty Compensation Committee.
Please see the note from Bill that is attached below.
He will be supported by the College's strong faculty governance structure and exceptional administrative team. If the duties of Interim President turn out to extend beyond September 1, Morty and Bill, in consultation with the Faculty Steering Committee, have asked Andrea Danyluk, Professor of Computer Science, to serve as Acting Dean of the Faculty from that date until Bill could resume those responsibilities. She would bring to the task her own extensive experience in College governance, including as Chair of the Computer Science Department, Cognitive Science Program, Committee on Educational Policy, and Faculty Steering Committee and as member of the Committee on Appointments and Promotions.
The Board is confident that this arrangement will provide the College with continuity and excellence in leadership until the next president takes office. I hope you will join me in thanking Bill and Andrea for their willingness to serve Williams in these capacities.
Regards,
Greg Avis ’80
Chair, 2009 Presidential Search Committee
April 27, 2009
To The Williams Community:
I am deeply honored to have been asked by the Board of Trustees to be Interim President from July 1 until Morty Schapiro’s successor assumes his or her responsibilities. I feel privileged to be able to serve the College in this capacity and look forward to continuing to collaborate with the other members of Senior Staff, our regular standing committees, and the Board of Trustees to manage College affairs and in particular to meet our current financial challenges effectively and in ways that preserve our core values.
Over the course of the summer I will continue to carry out my responsibilities as Dean of the Faculty. As Greg Avis pointed out in his letter, should it become necessary for me to continue as Interim President beyond September 1, Andrea Danyluk of the Computer Science Department and Division III representative on the Committee on Appointments and Promotions has generously agreed to serve as Acting Dean of the Faculty until I resume my responsibilities as Dean. In this event, Andrea would resign her position on the CAP and an election for a new Division III representative would take place at the September faculty meeting.
Let me take this opportunity to thank Morty on behalf of all of us for the splendid leadership he continues to provide the College in these last months of his presidency. I look forward in the coming months to working with all members of the College community on our ongoing goal of making Williams the finest college it can be.
With best regards,
Bill Wagner
Dean of the Faculty
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