The Daily Cardinal: How do you feel about being a finalist?
Nicholas Jones: I spent a couple of years at the University of Illinois, and so if I can set aside for a moment the fact that the Badgers were our arch rivals while we were there...But more seriously, during my time, particularly in the midwest, I developed a huge respect for the University of Wisconsin.
When this opportunity came up, and I went through the process and ended up finding out this week that I was one of the finalist candidates, I was very flattered to be considered for this role. It’s an institution for which I, for a very long time, have had great respect. To be given an opportunity, even to be a finalist for the chancellor role, is really a great honor for me.
I see the other candidates, and I would like to think that I’m in great company. It looks like the search committee has come up with great people for the university to find their next chancellor.
DC: What is the motivation behind your decision to apply for the chancellor position?
Jones: I’ve been dean at Hopkins for around eight and a half years now. I’ve had a really good run, and I think we’ve accomplished some great things here. At some point, you kind of think that it might be time to consider another opportunity. I’m very pleased and proud of what we accomplished as a school here. I feel that if i’m to consider another position, this is probably a good time.
One thing I learned going to Illinois, Even though Hopkins is a private institution and Wisconsin is a public institution, both places struck me as being driven by a real passion and commitment and a camaraderie among the people.
You never quite know why until you’re actually there to learn a little bit more about the place. As part of the process, I’ve delved into the website and read all sorts of material. It struck me that there was something very compelling to me about the Wisconsin Idea. It struck me as being something everybody at the institution seems to get behind. It truly is a compelling vision for the university.
I’m a big believer that if an institution and all the people in the institution are looking in the same direction then that just gives you great potential to help lead that team forward to help them accomplish what they want to accomplish.
I was really struck by the Wisconsin Idea, and when I had my first conversation with the search committee, I felt it. You could feel it in the room. It wasn’t just words, it wasn’t just written on a page, it was something that was real. I found that just really compelling about the institution.
DC: Can you describe what it would be like going from a smaller university to a large university like UW-Madison?
Jones: I actually had to go through that transition when I went from from Hopkins to Illinois. I went from leading a very small department in my field to leading one of the largest and prestigious departments in the country in my field. I was nervous about that. What I realized very quickly when I came on board, and I foresee the same thing to be the case here, it’s less about the size of the institution and less about whether about public or private. It’s about the people and what motivates people.
And I think what I see at Hopkins, and I see it at Wisconsin also, is that there are people who are driven to excellence, driven to pursue an ideal with passion. At the end of the day, it’s all about the people, and it’s all about the team and the team spirit. So when I look at it through that kind of lens, the public-private just becomes a secondary issue and size becomes secondary.
If you have the right team and the team is all pulling in the same direction, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a large team or a small team.
It doesn’t matter if you have a small team or a large team, the team accomplishes what the team is setting out to do.
DC: How do you plan on connecting with students at a large university like UW-Madison?
Jones: What I believe is that as a leader, it’s all about building effective relationships and when you build effective relationships, great things happen. Building relationships means getting out and getting amongst people, whether it’s colleagues in leadership, faculty, staff, the students. Just finding ways to get out and talk to people, asking questions, listen to how they respond, listen to the things that get them excited, listen to the things that make them concerned.
And Then, based on all that input, what would your constituents, in this case students, need to try to figure out creative ways to respond to opportunities, address concerns. It really is about getting out and asking the right questions and listening.
DC: Do you have a long-term plan if chosen as chancellor for UW-Madison?
Jones: What strikes me about Madison particularly in the context of the Wisconsin Idea, what really strikes me is that it is an institution that has a great and rich history. It has a track record of success both directly as an institution itself and indirectly for the accomplishments of its alumni. What I see is a great opportunity always in a leadership role is to try to figure out ways creatively by working with the people, with everybody from students to faculty to staff, to figure out how you can come together in ways you that haven’t thought of coming together before and exceeding the sum of your parts. I think that’s extremely important.
I think many of the challenges that we face as a nation or as a globe, and many of the opportunities out there are structured in ways or exist in ways that just taking traditional approaches won’t necessarily work, and we need to creatively and innovatively come together in ways that we never have before.
DC: Do you have any specifics to creatively come together at this time?
Jones: One thing that makes Wisconsin special is the Wisconsin Idea creates the context in which the institution can come together and think strategically about what it wants to accomplish over the next five to ten years. There is a strategic vision and plan for the institution, and I think embracing that vision, which has gone from a strong tradition of shared governance, which is very important, and looking for opportunities in the context of that plan.
Looking for unique niches and opportunities for the institutions to really emerge even more strongly as a leader.
DC: Personally, why do you want to be chancellor of The University of Wisconsin-Madison?
Jones: I feel that I guess I look at it as an opportunity to make a difference. I think it’s a great institution, and it’s an institution I respect. There’s great people, great motivation, great thinking that has already taken place about what the institution would like to accomplish. Personally, that’s an exciting environment for somebody like me.
We had a tradition here at Hopkins of figuring out ways we can collaborate across traditional cross curricular boundaries. The opportunity to be at the helm of a great institution and help it do that, it’s stimulating and it’s exciting.
I think I can help do that. I think I can help make a difference and would like to have the opportunity to do that.
I’m honored and flattered to be considered a finalist. I look forward to spending some time very much on campus and getting to meet with a group of people and very excited about the prospect of being the next chancellor, even though I know we’re not done yet. It’s a very exciting prospect for me.
