Still working at UNC, next pres. on double duty
Robert Shelton, the next UA president, said this week he plans to visit the campus next month.
Shelton, the provost at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, said Tuesday he is planning to visit the UA in early or mid-March for three to four days, depending on his busy schedule.
Shelton said although he will be taking the reins at the UA, he is still employed at UNC and has a lot of duties to attend to in the next couple of months.
Shelton said he needs to "be true to (UNC), but my future is with Arizona."
From Feb. 8 to Feb. 23, Shelton said he will be out of the office for two different commitments. One is a trip to Bangkok to lead a delegation for the Keenan Institute, which encourages studies and societies of Central Eurasia. The other commitment is to pursue joint ventures with technology investors in Singapore, Shelton said.
"It's a balance," he said. "Carolina is still paying me, I need to do things here."
When Shelton visits the UA in March, some of his top priorities are meeting with various leaders of student groups, the leader of Pima Community College, state legislators, faculty and administration, he said.
Shelton said he hopes to call and meet with Gov. Janet Napolitano when he's here and wants to "make sure she knows how much I appreciate her and her role."
Provost George Davis said he has spoken with Shelton a couple of times since Friday, and mentioned one conversation tailored to congratulating the new president.
"I wanted to let him know the excitement people were feeling," Davis said. "(I wanted) to bottle that and give him a sense for it."
Davis said he will be in close contact with Shelton in the next couple of months, adding that he wants the university to be as supportive of Shelton's needs as possible.
A transition team will include people from different parts of the university to help Shelton become comfortable with the inner workings of the university, Davis said.
The team will get a better sense of Shelton's goals in the next five months and will support those desires to fit the university, Davis said.
"Part of the expression of the smooth transition is to develop a higher informed understanding of the UA," Davis said. "If that is achieved, he comes in with a better understanding of the programs within the university."
Davis said he hopes the first time Shelton visits the UA as the future president there will be a celebration to make him feel welcome.
'This is a human event, and a person who is culminating his career as the next president," Davis said.
Edith Auslander, vice president and senior associate to the president, said she is certain the transition period will go smoothly.
Auslander said it is imperative for Shelton to meet with members of the campus and Tucson community, mentioning the public's great interest in the new president as reflected by high attendance at the feedback forums.
Wanda Howell, chair of the Faculty Senate, said she is anxious to speak with Shelton about "getting up to speed with our shared governance culture."
Howell said although she believes Shelton does have a sense of shared governance, he needs to gain a better sense of what it means to the UA culture. Howell said a visit in mid-to-late March is realistic for Shelton, and she doesn't see much of a problem with it.
"I'm not surprised. He can't just leave," Howell said. "He's going to have to shuffle back and forth."
Howell said although she doesn't think the shared governance program is urgent, it is important for Shelton to understand it.
"I'm perfectly willing to let him get his feet wet a bit," Howell said. "Then we can engage in that conversation. "
One of the ways Shelton plans to give access to students is to make sure students are included as a part of the transition process.
Shelton said it was gratifying to hear about the positive feedback faculty and students had given him.
"That's OK," Shelton said. "High expectations are good for both people and institutions."
Shelton said he visited Tucson in late December and saw the Desert Museum and Sabino Canyon, but said those are the only sights he will see for awhile.
"I'm going to be focused on the university," he said. "Then do some sightseeing."