Chancellor Leadership Statement November 2014
Chancellor UNIVERSITY of NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON The Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) invites applications and nominations for the position of chancellor, to assume office on July 1, 2015. The current chancellor, Dr. William Sederburg, is serving in an interim capacity. The chancellor is the chief executive of the institution and exercises broad authority over the university. Opportunity The chancellor reports to the President of the University of North Carolina, of which UNCW is one of 17 constituent institutions. The chancellor will work with the President, the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina, and the UNCW Board of Trustees, keeping all of them informed about the operations and needs of the university. Founded as Wilmington College in 1947 to serve returning veterans and meet the needs of southeastern North Carolina, the institution became the fifth constituent institution of the University of North Carolina in 1969. UNCW was authorized to offer graduate degrees in 1977, became a Comprehensive Level I university in 1985, and is now widely recognized as one of the top public comprehensive universities in the South. In recent years, UNCW has appeared in Kiplinger s Personal Finance as one of the 100 Best Values in Public Colleges, in Washington Monthly s Best Bang for the Buck top 20, and in The Princeton Review s Best in the Southeast, among other national accolades. Located in the coastal city of Wilmington, North Carolina, UNCW is nestled between the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean, and strikes an enviable balance between a casual lifestyle and a global business community. Entrepreneurial zeal permeates every facet of the community, giving it the vibrancy of a city much larger in size, with the ease of living found in a small town. USA Today recently named Wilmington as the best American riverfront city. UNCW maintains an engaging learning environment for undergraduate students by integrating high quality teaching and mentoring with world-class research and service. The university promotes and engages in scholarship that includes master s-focused graduate education and selected doctoral programs. UNCW is an attractive and secure campus, which encourages intellectual and cultural diversity, fosters regional engagement, and values individual growth and development. The next chancellor will lead a dynamic university that has numerous degree offerings (55 bachelor s degrees, 42 master s degrees, and 2 doctoral degrees, with others pending approval) in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health and Human Services, Cameron School of Business, Watson College of Education, Graduate School, and Center for Marine Science. Chancellor Authority As leader of the university, the chancellor promotes the educational excellence and general development and welfare of the institution. As such, the chancellor approves all projects, programs, and institutional reports undertaken on behalf of the university. The chancellor is a member of all faculties and other academic bodies of the institution and is responsible for ensuring that the university has shared governance by working with Faculty Senate, a majority of whose members are elected by and from the members of the faculty and by working with Staff Senate on matters pertaining to the staff of the university. In addition, it is the duty of the chancellor to exercise full authority in the regulation of student affairs and in matters of student discipline at the university. Identity Statement At UNCW, passionate and engaged teaching, learning and research matter. UNCW is unique in its dedication to combining a commitment to excellence in teaching with research opportunities for student involvement in significant faculty scholarship.
Mission Statement The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state s coastal university, is dedicated to learning through the integration of teaching and mentoring with research and service. Our powerful academic experience stimulates creative inquiry, critical thinking, thoughtful expression and responsible citizenship in an array of high-quality programs at the baccalaureate and master s levels, and in our doctoral programs in marine biology and educational leadership. Substantial research activity, combined with our hallmark teaching excellence and moderate size, advances distinctive student involvement in faculty scholarship. We are committed to diversity and inclusion, affordable access, global perspectives, and enriching the quality of life through scholarly community engagement in such areas as health, education, the economy, the environment, marine and coastal issues, and the arts. Budget UNCW s annual budget is approximately $297 million, with approximately one-third of that provided by the North Carolina General Assembly. Other significant sources of operating revenues include student tuition and fees (approximately 30%), sales and services, grants and contracts, private gifts, and investment income. As of June 30, 2014, university endowments totaled $87.9 million. In January 2014, Moody s Investor Services revised UNCW s outlook from stable to positive, citing sustained enrollment growth, improved financial resources, and favorable operating performance, and affirmed the already existing A1 rating of UNCW s general revenue bonds and A2 rating of the university s certificates of participation. Students, Faculty and Staff Fall 2014 headcount enrollment was 14,611, including 12,993 undergraduates and 1,618 graduate students, with the vast majority being full-time students. In the Fall 2014 freshman class of 2,159, 66% were female, 17% were minorities, 18% were out of state students (limited by policy to 18%), and international students enrolled from 24 countries. The SAT average was 1192 (math and verbal only); the average high school GPA was 4.1. UNCW currently has approximately 900 dedicated full-time and part-time instructional faculty, of which approximately 70% are full-time. Of the full-time faculty, approximately 86% hold a terminal degree in their discipline. UNCW also employs approximately 1,200 committed staff, of which approximately 60% are female and over 21% are minorities. UNCW Areas of Focus Teaching and Research Faculty members at UNCW embrace the highest level of scholarship in their teaching and research. Faculty seek student involvement outside the classroom (e.g., from laboratory to publication) through engaged scholarship. UNCW commitment to applied learning experiences was a centerpiece of the recent Quality Enhancement Plan for SACS reaccreditation. Marine Science UNCW s Center for Marine Science (CMS) is recognized internationally for its interdisciplinary work involving biology and marine biology, chemistry and biochemistry, environmental studies, geology and geography, and physics and oceanography. Located on the CREST (Campus for Research, Entrepreneurship, Service, and Teaching) research campus on the intracoastal waterway, CMS facilities (approximately 200,000 square feet) include a new marine biotechnology building for public-private partnerships, a shellfish hatchery, an operations wing (for diving, instrumentation, and boating needs), and the main laboratory building with core equipment and running seawater system. Global Awareness As the world continues to change at a rapid pace, UNCW is helping to shape the future by focusing on the issues that
face our global society. Interfacing with our partners in other countries as well as with our regional community and with Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, UNCW is committed to producing graduates who will be successful leaders in a global environment. Students are encouraged to foster a diverse, multi-cultural perspective through involvement in international programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, through travel and study abroad and through enrolling in one or more of UNCW s global course offerings. In addition, students select majors that facilitate meaningful interactions with an increasingly internationally diverse faculty and student body. Diversity and Inclusion With the changing demographics of both our state and nation, UNCW seeks to embrace diversity in its fullest sense and offer an array of diversity programming, UNCW seeks to create a culture of diversity and inclusion that results in recruitment and retention of minority students, faculty and staff in ever-increasing numbers, thereby creating a climate that welcomes minorities. UNCW intends to expand the resources for scholarships to engage the region and state as a diversity leader. Research Research expenditures and grants and contracts typically range from $10 million to $20 million annually, yet have exceeded $35 million. In 2009, UNCW was awarded a prestigious $15 million construction grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to build a $30 million Marine Biotechnology Research Facility. UNCW has active awards in excess of $100 million in grant portfolios from federal, state and private sponsors throughout all of the university s colleges and schools. Athletics UNCW competes in NCAA Division I sports and is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), which stretches from Northeastern University in Boston to the College of Charleston. Sports include men s and women s soccer, men s and women s cross country, volleyball, men s and women s swimming and diving, men s and women s basketball, men s and women s track and field, baseball, softball, men s and women s tennis, and men s and women s golf. Campus Physical Plant UNCW s modified Georgian building style and beautiful landscaping throughout campus make main campus one of the most attractive campuses in the South. Infrastructure improvements and campus master planning have been accomplished to ensure we are prepared for future growth. UNCW s campus experienced dramatic change as a result of the $3.1 billion N.C. Higher Education Bond issue in 2000, academic facilities funded through state appropriations, a privatized student housing initiative, and other in-house funding mechanisms. Over $500 million dollars in funding for major capital projects has resulted in 30 new or renovated buildings for academics, research, housing, athletics, and campus life. Advancement In 2012, UNCW successfully completed the Soaring to Greatness comprehensive fundraising campaign, having raised over $66 million, providing funding for 239 new student scholarships, for 8 endowed distinguished professorships, and for other purposes. With state funding steadily declining as a percentage of total university revenue, UNCW will continue its focus on matching and surpassing our peer institutions in private sector funding. Strategic Context for the New Chancellor The next chancellor will have an opportunity to help shape the future of the university by expanding upon a high quality academic environment that has garnered much success including a reaffirmation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2013. However, there are some distinct challenges that face the university and the North Carolina system, both short and long term. They include: A large proportion of faculty members at UNCW will be eligible to retire during the next decade. The University must position itself to attract highly qualified and diverse replacements. A need for an intensive and consistent fundraising effort to support a variety of needs at the university including scholarships, faculty development, endowed professorships, and athletics. The UNCW academic experience has traditionally been delivered with face-to-face classes. While distance education is a growing part of our curriculum delivery, it has been embraced by faculty and students less quickly and less fully than at other institutions. Increasing competition from others will require that we assess our current response to this issue while balancing the need to maintain the culture of a personal campus feel.
Chancellor Responsibilities The Chancellor, supported by a cabinet composed of senior administrators is responsible for: Articulating the shared vision and values of UNCW established through implementation of a long range plan designed to enhance UNCW s reputation as a leading regional university; Providing leadership for the university and personally promoting the university s firm commitments to diversity and inclusion, global awareness and sense of community; Providing leadership in expanding the university s resource base, including endowment, research grants/ contracts and gifts; Building on existing strengths, expanding relationships with university constituencies, including alumni, parents, donors, granting agencies, associated entities (e.g. Foundation Board, Seahawk Club and Alumni Association), and major educational organizations in an effort to continue the university s educational leadership role; In close cooperation with the University President, the UNC Board of Governors and the UNCW Board of Trustees, maintaining a working relationship with members of the NC General Assembly and other state leaders in an effort to promote the mission of the university; Providing oversight responsibility required by the NCAA and CAA for university athletic programs, including the academic progress of student athletes; Collaborating with regional and local universities, community colleges and elected officials to identify and advance areas of mutual interest among these various groups; Meeting frequently with students, faculty and staff to better understand their needs and concerns. Personal Traits of a Successful Chancellor The chancellor of the University of North Carolina Wilmington will be a person of unquestioned character who has demonstrated a passion for public education and an understanding of the role of UNCW in our community, region, state, nation, and the world. He or she will value the interaction of teaching and research to deliver a unique learning environment for our students and be able to build upon the considerable strengths that exist at UNCW. The chancellor must be a leader with a clear vision with the ability to communicate well and work collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, and external constituencies to reach new levels of excellence in our academic, athletic, and outreach programs. Preferably, the candidate will have an earned doctorate or an equivalent terminal degree and will have demonstrated skills in management of large organizations. The committee, however, is open to candidates with a broad range of experience and qualifications. Other expectations include demonstrated success in the advancement of diversity, excellent two-way communication skills, the ability to think strategically and the ability to conduct successful fund raising. Summary Since its inception over 60 years ago, UNCW s reputation has steadily grown under a variety of leaders whose successful leadership skills have positioned the university as one of the premier public master s universities in the nation. The new Chancellor will join and lead a campus community that has enjoyed more than a generation of remarkable achievements and growth in financial and physical resources, as well as significant expansion of exceptional human capital. The new Chancellor will have an opportunity to capitalize on these solid assets and fulfill the university s aspirations of leadership as a nationally recognized comprehensive university.