Faculty, community members support Wise
Daryl Quitalig The Daily Illini Chancellor Dr. Phyllis Wise speaks during an interview at Swanlund Administration Building on Friday, Oct. 7, 2011.
October 11, 2015
In a letter that was sent to the Board of Trustees and President Killeen Oct. 6, members of the faculty and community and friends of Wise wrote they “wish to publicly express gratitude and support for former University of Illinois Chancellor, Phyllis Wise.”
B. Joe White, president emeritus and Business professor, was among the signators.
White said he decided to publicly support Phyllis Wise because she served the University well in her time as chancellor. The letter does not call for any specific action and White said he views the letter as more of a thank you note.
The full letter reads:
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“We, the undersigned, wish to publicly express gratitude and support for former University of Illinois Chancellor, Phyllis Wise.
Since her arrival in 2011, Dr. Wise worked tirelessly for the advancement of the University of Illinois. No chancellor in recent history accomplished in such a short time what Dr. Wise has in her limited tenure. Perhaps, the new medical school will be the tangible, ongoing salute in honor of Dr. Phyllis Wise, University of Illinois Chancellor 2011-2015.
As friends, neighbors and colleagues we feel that it is the community’s and University’s loss that she will no longer be leading us as Chancellor.”
Wise was heavily involved in the creation of the Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, which is set to enroll its first class in 2017.
“I think that Phyllis Wise gave her all to the Urbana campus during those five years,” White said.
White resigned as president following a University controversy, similar to Wise. He was president during the 2009 admissions scandal in which students who had political connections, but didn’t meet the University’s academic standards, were admitted to the University.
The preferential treatment was first reported by the Chicago Tribune in May 2009 and though White was not directly involved with admissions, he chose to allow a newly formed Board of Trustees — six trustees also had to step down due to the scandal — to choose a new leader for the University.
Robin Kaler, campus spokeswoman, and Tom Hardy, University spokesman, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the letter was first sent Saturday Oct. 10. The article should have stated the letter was mailed on Tuesday Oct. 6. The Daily Illini regrets the error.
