The Presidential Search Committee will meet Tuesday to further discuss who will be the next president of the University of Illinois.

During a recent interview with The Daily Illini Editorial Board, Chancellor Phyllis Wise was asked what type of person she would like to see as the next University president. Her answer:

“I would love to see someone who is academically really well-respected and really has an excellent record as an academic leader. Also, someone who is really ready to go out and do the external work, which is so important at the moment … but [someone] really ready to promote the University of Illinois to a wider audience. By that, I mean corporate leaders, legislators, the governor, federal legislators, to really promote the value of the University of Illinois. One of the things I learned when I first got here when I did my listening and learning tour was that people said two things. One was that they were here because of the people, and they mean everything to the value of the University of Illinois, and the second thing was that we did a lousy job of communicating and promoting ourselves in a bold but not boastful way. So I took it upon myself to spend a significant amount of time outside the campus, but the president should do it in spades.”

The Chancellor, more or less, described herself. She is someone who is academically well-respected. She is an academic leader, serving as provost at the University of Washington before becoming chancellor. Wise has completed the “external work,” developing a relationship with Carle to help form a new College of Medicine and becoming a member of First Busey Corporation’s board. 

Prior to Robert Easter, the University struggled to find a president who could stay out of trouble. Big goals evaporated amid scandal. So far, Chancellor Wise has embarked on a Listening and Learning Tour, organized a Visioning Future Excellence survey and developed a Strategic Plan for the campus based on the results. 

If she became the next president, there would be a level of consistency not seen with the past few University presidents. Big goals would have a chance to become a reality.

However, Wise’s tenure has not been without controversy.

• In March 2012, President Michael Hogan, whom Wise had a strained relationship with, resigned.
• In September 2012, Wise hired Provost Ilesanmi Adesida, who has not been popular among most faculty on campus.
• In January, Chancellor Wise recommended an extension and raise for athletic director Mike Thomas, whom many fans think should be fired after the hire of Tim Beckman.
• Also in January, Wise was the subject of racist and sexist tweets after deciding not to cancel classes because of harsh weather conditions.
• In April, former Symbionese Liberation Army member James Kilgore lost his job weeks after he was praised for doing a good job by a campus spokeswoman, raising questions about faculty rights.
• In September, those questions were brought up again when the Board of Trustees did not approve the tenured faculty position of Steven Salaita because of controversial tweets, causing 14 departments to vote “no confidence” in Wise and thousands of scholars to boycott the University. The decision also raised questions about donor influence over Wise. However, almost 500 faculty members responded by announcing their support for Wise.
• Last week, Wise was accused of self-plagiarism, misusing images and removing co-authors in a 2006 research paper she published, after Retraction Watch discovered it failed to cite her previously published work.

Another aspect to consider is could the University attract a top candidate? With a strained relationship with the State, an increasing reliance on tuition, and a history of scandal, is the University really a destination for top administrative talent? 

Or is it best to find a candidate from within, who has already committed to the University?

The Daily Illini is not endorsing or denouncing Chancellor Wise as a candidate for President of the University of Illinois. However, we would like to bring together a discussion on campus about whether Wise should be considered. 

So, with this, we ask the campus community: Should Chancellor Wise be considered as a finalist for the next University president?

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this editorial incorrectly stated that University President Michael Hogan resigned in March 2011. The editorial should have stated that his resignation was in March 2012. The Daily Illini regrets the error.