Student Regent Katie Pointer addressed the Associated Students of Madison Student Council Wednesday to discuss Monday’s recommendation of Rebecca Blank as the university’s next chancellor and to give the representatives a chance to voice their opinions or concerns.
A special University of Wisconsin Board of Regents committee recommended Blank, who is currently the acting secretary of the United States Department of Commerce, to take over in July.
Student Council Rep. David Gardner said he felt concerned Blank was not aligned with the UW-Madison commitment to affordability, but supported a high tuition, high financial aid model instead.
Pointer said she had heard from other students and faculty that Blank has favored this type of model. Pointer said she was concerned and went through transcripts to look for evidence but found no record of Blank favoring this model and said it must have been an “assumption made along the way.”
She said in conversations Blank “expressed quite the opposite” of a high tuition, high aid model.
Blank previously held a position at the University of Michigan, which has a much higher tuition rate than UW-Madison, but, according to Pointer, Blank said the demographics of families in Wisconsin were different from those of Michigan.
Pointer said Blank has stressed the importance of keeping tuition affordable for Wisconsin families, which is part of the accessibility mission of the university.
ASM Diversity Committee Chair Mia Akers asked Pointer if she thought the next chancellor should prioritize diversity and have a “thorough understanding of what diversity is,” after expressing concerns about the Blank recommendation Monday.
Pointer said she felt prioritizing diversity is important for many reasons and pointed out that diversity was one of the top priorities of the Search and Screen Committee. She said she knew each of the four finalists addressed diversity as a priority because they made it through the elimination process.
According to Pointer, diversity is often “over-simplified.” She said not only is racial diversity important, but also other types of diversity, such as economic background and political thought.
“[Diversity] is what makes us great, it’s what makes us learn from each other,” Pointer said. “It’s absolutely crucial and in our mission.”
Pointer added she felt confident Blank held a clear understanding of the necessity of all these types of diversity.
