February 7, 2004 was much different than May 6, 2003.
On May 6, the Madison City Council voted 11-2 to pass a resolution denouncing UW-Madison for the \unconscionable"" tracking fee it was set to force upon its international students and Chancellor John Wiley, the man at the center of the firestorm.
As a news writer documenting the intensely fractious proceedings, I was caught between a sea of fiercely enraged students and the chancellor attending the meeting to attempt a civil discussion with students and community members about the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System Fee. The fee was a new records-keeping service the university was compelled to implement by the terms of the USA Patriot Act.
Entering the chancellor's office early on a Friday morning nearly two years after our first encounter, I was relieved to interview Wiley on more relaxed terms-especially considering it was a privilege to spend a significant amount of one-on-one with him-allowing the chancellor to discuss his views on topics.
The chancellor is largely misunderstood by the majority of students on campus. Most students possess a limited knowledge of the chancellor himself, and the little of what they do know about his job is relayed through campus newspaper briefs and university e-mails when something goes wrong. For the average UW-Madison undergrad, first-hand exposure to the chancellor is limited to their first day of summer orientation and the day they receive their diploma.
From student to chancellor
Wiley came to UW-Madison in 1964 as a National Science Foundation Fellow, earning a master's degree in physics in 1965, followed by a doctoral degree in 1968. After working in the private sector and conducting research abroad, Wiley returned to UW-Madison, assuming an assistant professorship in computer and electrical engineering. He soon became an associate dean in the School of Engineering.
The dean of the UW-Madison Graduate School retired in 1989, leaving an administrative vacancy for the university to fill. Though his plan was to withdraw his candidacy following the interview, Wiley was named as a finalist for the job. It was only after a meeting with then-Chancellor Donna Shalala did he accept the position.
In 1994, he became the provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs. On Jan. 1, 2001, Wiley became the 27th Chancellor of UW-Madison.
The man with the Master Plan
One of the issues central to Wiley's current administrative agenda are the demolitions, renovations and restructuring aimed at improving the physical face of the campus. From remodeling Camp Randall to the creation of the East Campus Pedestrian Mall, Wiley has orchestrated the broadest and most aggressive remodeling strategy in recent school history-a new 'Master Plan' for the future of campus.
Compounded by fire-code violations and deteriorating structural integrities, Wiley said there is no choice but to push for increased construction on campus. Two aging architectural giants-the Humanities Building and Ogg Residence Hall-are targeted for outright demolition. Instead of facing backlash from students and alumni over the destruction of UW-Madison's most notoriously recognizable landmarks, Wiley said the new Campus Master Plan has been embraced by Badgers everywhere.
""[The reaction] has been overwhelmingly positive. The East Campus plan, in particular, has been very well-received, and not just on campus,"" Wiley said. ""As I go around the country and speak to alumni groups, as soon as I mention that one of our goals is to replace the Humanities building, the room bursts into applause. I think every student that has ever suffered in that building wants to see it taken down.""
Other members of the faculty agree with Wiley's decision because the new campus will enhance the university as a whole.
""He has a real vision for the university,"" said Phillip Certain, dean emertus of the College of Letters & Science. Certain, who retired Sept. 1, 2004, worked with Wiley since the chancellor was dean of Graduate School.
""The new plan is absolutely terrific and [John] has good insight into what facilities need 25 years from now since the building process is slow. The new buildings will especially help the arts as the current buildings were built poorly in the 1960s and 70s,"" he added.
Wiley said the assumption that the focus of the university is now on physical aspects rather than the academic well-being of the institution is a popular misconception which he deals with more than any other.
Conflicting
vocabularies
On the recent spate of student hostility toward the Madison police and their seemingly increased vigilance toward house parties, Wiley expressed little sympathy for those students who knowingly break the law by selling cups at house parties, yet expect little to no legal consequence as a result.
""If you believe that the rules are too harsh,"" Wiley addressed party hosts, ""the people to talk to are the ones who made the rules-the elected officials.""
Wiley understands alcohol's perceived ubiquity in student life at UW-Madison, and he said he is not opposed to student drinking, but finds fault in most students' definition of ""drinking.""
""There is a vocabulary issue that I think everyone needs to be aware of. When I say I have no problem with drinking, I mean I have no problem with consuming alcohol in moderation,"" Wiley explained. ""It seems to me that when students say 'drinking,' what they really mean is 'drunken.'""
Since becoming chancellor, Wiley has clashed with students and campus-area bar owners over the issue of drink specials, daily pub specials which reduce prices on popular drinks and increase per-person consumption levels. Wiley cited drink specials as being ""flat-out irresponsible"" for encouraging a cultural-binge and high-risk drinking at UW-Madison.
He believes one of the most pressing problems currently afflicting students is the unnecessary connection between ""drinking"" and ""getting drunk,"" two actions made synonymous in the student vernacular.
""I have a big problem with drinking to the point where you endanger yourself or other people-it's the biggest health and safety issue on this campus. I don't even particularly care about the underage drinking issue,"" Wiley said. ""I care about high-risk drinking at any age.""
'We did not invent the PlayStation'
Students should thank Chancellor Wiley for more than his tireless efforts on behalf of UW-Madison.
During his tenure with the College of Engineering, Wiley and material science colleague, professor John Perepezko, designed a way to make semiconductor devices work better at high temperatures-namely a device that would enable the control systems of jet airplanes to work properly under extreme heat.
""What we invented was a diffusion barrier, a layer of metal that is very, resistant to anything going through it,"" Wiley explained. ""If you put this layer in between two things that are supposed to stay apart, they really stay apart, even at very high temperatures.""
A few years ago, Wiley found himself perusing a technical report of an electronics company which used copper in their microchips, an inexpensive alternative to the aluminum status quo. To use copper in these chips, Wiley knew that the company needed a special diffusion barrier, one that he had an especially ""personal"" knowledge of.
""All the chips before used aluminum, and I knew that copper atoms are very good at diffusing through other things, and so I knew that they must have a very effective diffusion barrier,"" Wiley beamed. ""The theoretically best-the best there will ever be-is the one we patented, so I suspected they were using our diffusion barrier.""
Wiley had the university hire a forensics law firm to investigate the discrepancy, and the firm found the chips the electronics company was selling had their diffusion barrier inside-as did practically every electronic product currently on the market. From the Playstation 2 to the Pentium Processor, Wiley and Perepezko's invention allows the electronic gadgets we use and enjoy everyday to work properly.
Behind the cardinal red curtain
Wiley's favorite part about being chancellor is the opportunity to meet with student and alumni groups, discussing issues pertinent to the continued success of UW-Madison. Part of the reason Wiley has been so successful at keeping the lines of communication open between administration and students is the premium he places on listening.
""One of the hardest things in any administrative or managerial job is to remember that you have to keep on listening, because too many people, just because of the title and the job, give you too much respect and are deferential-they're afraid to ask difficult questions, they're afraid to embarrass you,"" Wiley explained.
Wiley admitted the title before his name creates its own sort of ""diffusion barrier,"" one that creates a needless distance and hinders an open flow of communication.
""People who I've been friends with for 20 or 30 years and who always called me John now say 'chancellor.' It's just an extra edge of respect that puts a distance between you and everybody else,"" Wiley said.
""That's very dangerous because you get to the point where you become accustomed to doing all the talking and never listening, so it's important to continue to listen. Students and alumni keep me grounded.""
And though he grew up in Indiana and received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University, Wiley proclaimed he is cardinal red, through and through.
""I'm a Badger. To the end,"" he said.
