The administrative changes as a result of the “Category I” admissions scandal in 2009 left Robert Easter, currently the outgoing interim chancellor and vice president, with a decision to make.

He could either play it by the book and retire, his original plan before the resignations of top-level administrators, or step up into the vacant role of the campus’ leader.

Easter chose the latter — thinking it would only be a four-to-six-month assignment.

Today will be Easter’s last day in office. He said stepping into that position came from a sense of obligation and that it was something that needed to be done.

“It didn’t bother me to put aside retirement because I thought it was for a really good purpose,” Easter said.

“At some point, all of us realize — not just myself but all the leaders on the campus — that we need to come together and do our best to pull the institution through the next several months until stability could be recreated,” he said.

During that time, not only did he have the support of Richard Herman, the former chancellor who had asked Easter to take on the position after resigning, but also of his family.

Previously, as the dean of ACES researching the agricultural system of the state, every other night he was “in a distant corner of Illinois and getting home at midnight or later.”

Easter said several months into his new role as chancellor, his wife remarked his coming home by 9 or 10 o’clock was “really nice.”

Even with the extensive time commitment, Easter has been able to spend time with his family, such as bringing them out to Illini sporting events.

“I don’t think I’m unusual (being) in the position (that) involves a significant commitment,” he said. “We’re fortunate that two of our children and all of our grandchildren are local. We’ve been able to involve them occasionally in some of the activities.”

*“Somebody has to make a decision.”*

During a time when the scandal had created such uncertainty, it was one day about two years ago that stood out for Easter. It was during a Council of Deans retreat in the summer of 2009, where interim provost Richard Wheeler was also present.

“This is where Dr. (Debasish) Dutta, (dean of the Graduate College), made the first presentation around Stewarding Excellence, describing the process of it,” Easter said. “In that retreat, I had a real sense that we were going to make it.”

Wheeler said likewise, calling that day “important.”

“It was quite fascinating to watch the deans get engaged with the process, to speak their minds, but also line up behind the process as something the University needed to do,” Wheeler said.

Over the course of the following two years, project teams were developed to identify cost-saving measures across the campus. One of the most hotly debated recommendations coming out of Stewarding Excellence was a call for the closure of the Institute of Aviation. Some of the more difficult discussions were over the Institute, Easter said.

“My inclination would’ve been to continue that forever. The realities we grappled with and ultimately the decision I had to make, and it was mine alone, after I had all the input of the faculty and other campus leaders,” he said.

Easter and Wheeler presented the proposal before the Board of “Trustees”:https://www.dailyillini.com/index.php/article/2011/07/ui_board_of_trustees_shuts_down_aviation at its July 2011 meeting after the Urbana-Champaign Senate advised Easter to not shut down the Institute in a narrow 57 to 54 vote.

But after the process, Easter said he learned that leaders have to make the tough decisions.

“I’ve always felt myself as a student of leadership, trying to understand what it is that allows one to be successful as a leader,” he said. “Ultimately, somebody has to make a decision.”

*Two sides of the coin*

This position has given him the opportunity to meet very successful people, Easter said when asked about the best part about his role.

“There have been these moments of pride when you’ve met with an alum like I did last week,” he said, referring to his trip to Beijing, China, with Gov. Pat Quinn and other members of the governor’s delegation.

Easter called the ability to meet past students a “heartwarming experience.”

“You have a sense of pride of the fact that individual students come here and because of things that happened to them here, they do things that they could’ve never thought (were) possible,” he said.

In addition, this position has been a chance for him and his wife, Cheryl, to gain another perspective of the University.

“It has been an opportunity for both of us to see dimensions of the campus, that despite our long history here, that we’ve not seen,” he said.

On the other side of the spectrum, one of the more difficult days during the two years was just last spring, when IBM pulled out of their contract in building the Blue Waters supercomputing project.

“The process over the last couple of months that led ultimately to that termination was a difficult time for us because the pre-eminence we have in computational science is profound,” Easter said.

During the discussions concerning Blue Waters, which would have made the University home to one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, the University and IBM “argued”:https://www.dailyillini.com/index.php/article/2011/09/ui_ibm_had_ongoing_dispute_over_project over “substantial changes” to the project for over a year.

“The potential that could have a negative impact on our reputation was a great concern,” Easter said.

Ravi Iyer, interim vice chancellor for research, said Easter fully supported the Blue Waters project.

“When things got sour, I valued Bob’s leadership because he brought a sense of thoughtfulness and an expectation (about the project),” he said. “It was great to have him. He has a way of making all those who work with him feel that their work is truly valued.”

*Looking towards the future*

Easter said he wants to be remembered, down the line, as “just a guy who did his job.”

“Dr. Herman, who I have great respect for, used to use the phrase ‘on our watch.’ I think (I) just want to be known as someone (who), ‘on our watch’ did the right thing,” Easter said.

However, the campus will remember him more than “just a guy who did his job.”

University president Michael Hogan said at a reception Tuesday honoring Easter that he will go down as one of the greatest chancellors the University has had.

“I know how beloved Bob is on the campus,” Hogan added.

And after almost 35 years as a University employee, Easter will retire on Oct. 15.

However, Easter wants to continue to contribute to the University, especially in ACES.

“I’ve been involved in teaching the same course (pork production) since 1976, and I’ve always felt that I’ve never did it quite right because there was never enough time to do background preparation,” he said.

Easter added, “One of those things I like to do, at least for those lectures I give, (is) with the technologies available today and how could I improve the learning opportunity for the students.”