Randy Woodson will be the new guy at N.C. State. But being an outsider may not be a bad thing.
The Purdue University provost who will be NCSU's new chancellor is a fresh face from the Midwest with no links to the prior university regime. That may be an advantage for Woodson as the leader of an institution trying to shake past controversies. In 2009, questions about the hiring of former first lady Mary Easley culminated in the resignations of former Chancellor James Oblinger and other campus leaders. Here are five tasks ahead for Woodson as he takes the helm of the state's largest campus, according to university administrators who have faced similar challenges.
Job 1: Be transparent
Woodson will have to win over students, faculty, staff and alumni groups that may have become skeptical of university leadership after last year's turmoil.
"It's all about relationships," said Joseph Johnson, an educational leadership professor at Fayetteville State University and former dean of education there.
Transparency and openness are buzzwords these days at NCSU. Woodson is an outsider, which may help on a campus where people will likely expect change and even welcome it, said Steve Ballard, East Carolina University's chancellor. Ballard took over in 2004 after a series of financial foul-ups forced his predecessor from office.
"I think there will be a great deal of support for the chancellor and a willingness to go along with it," Ballard said. "But you have to communicate what you're doing and why you're doing it. That's very important."
Woodson has already pledged openness. He said it was clear during the hiring process that NCSU's leaders were "ready for the university to move on from its last chapter."
The selection process itself was secret, prompting questions about the overall commitment to transparency.
Job 2: Break with past
Woodson has not indicated a desire to make sweeping changes. In fact, he was effusive in his praise for NCSU. He should keep that up, advised Johnson.
Johnson has watched his university rebound over the last two years under the leadership of current Chancellor James Anderson, hired in 2007 to clean up after some messy financial audits there. Anderson did so by spending a great deal of time analyzing the university's structure and then making firm decisions without dwelling on past problems, Johnson recalled.
"It's not about focusing on what's transpired," Johnson said. "I just think he needs to be very clear about what his purpose is there."
Job 3: Don't fix what isn't broken
At its core, NCSU is a strong, forward-looking university with a deep well of alumni support and a solid reputation in science and technology, say supporters. Woodson should promote and build on those strengths, others advise.
"N.C. State is not really in bad trouble," Johnson said. It "does not need to be fixed."
The university is in much better shape than in 1989, when Larry Monteith was tapped to pull the school out of an athletics scandal that had resulted in the resignation of Chancellor Bruce Poulton. Rabid fans blamed Monteith for the departure of popular basketball Coach Jim Valvano. Once, a man spit on the new chancellor at a basketball game; a plane flew over a graduation ceremony with the message, "Fire Monteith."
But the calm, unassuming Monteith, who was chancellor of NCSU for nine years, would eventually be credited with righting the ship and leading NCSU to a path of growth and academic prominence.
Job 4: Seek advice
UNC-Chapel Hill was in mourning in 1999 when Bill McCoy stepped in as its interim leader after the death of Chancellor Michael Hooker, who died of cancer at 53.
Then came chaos, including a budget deficit and a four-day sit-in by student protesters against sweatshop practices at T-shirt factories.
The key was to seek advice from those around him, keep his eye on the university's major priorities and work through the problems, said McCoy, a retired executive. To turn an organization around, McCoy said, leaders must assume that the people around them are capable and interested in doing the right thing.
McCoy sought advice from students, professors and staff on issues such as how to schedule snow makeup days or what to do about a losing football program. "Everybody was on the same wavelength and wanted to be a part of the team," he said.
Job 5: Jump in quickly
New leaders, particularly those without prior knowledge of their new university, often get grace periods.
Woodson may not be so fortunate, cautioned Claire Van Ummersen, vice president for the Center for Effective Leadership with the American Council on Education. Woodson is slated to begin work no later than May 1, which means he'll take over during the heart of budget season -- no small task these days with public universities grappling with budget deficits.
"The honeymoon period may not be as long to get things accomplished," Van Ummersen said. "He'll have to weigh in on the needs of the campus."
Staff writers Jane Stancill and Jay Price contributed tothis article.
