….Respect for his many accomplishments, as well as a recognition of his missteps, should guide members of the UW Board of Regents as they seek a successor….
Wiley’s achievements are significant. Under his leadership, the university has expanded its role as a center of research and scientific advancement that has few public or private rivals.
….For the UW to maintain its greatness, the school must be more closely linked to Madison and Wisconsin. With the straining of that relationship, the commitment of the state to providing the public funding that is needed to keep the UW strong and independent has slackened.
John Wiley has been an able administrator in many significant senses. But the next chancellor must take a broader view of the UW’s mission and its need to reconnect with Wisconsin.