After over an almost two-month-long search period, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents announced Thursday Raymond Cross will be the next UW System president.
Cross previously served as the chancellor of University of Wisconsin Colleges and University of Wisconsin-Extension since 2011 and was a key player in the production of the UW Flexible Option, which provides education opportunities for non-traditional students.
In a video tweeted by the UW System Twitter account, Cross thanked Regent President Michael Falbo and other regent members for granting him the opportunity.
“I’m truly honored to be appointed the next president of the University of Wisconsin System by the Board of Regents,” Cross said. “I’m eager to roll up my sleeves and to get to work.”
In the video, Cross said one of his first acts will be to hold “listening sessions” across the state, saying that he and the people of Wisconsin “need to do this together.”
“I look forward to strengthening existing and building new relationships … with the people who believe in this system to move this great state forward,” Cross said.
Cross said he will share his ideas for what he would like to see done with the system at a 9 a.m news conference Jan. 10 and within the coming weeks. According to a press release, Cross will take office in mid-February.
Cross will be the seventh president of the 26-campus-wide system, following Kevin Reilly, who stepped down in December. Reilly served in the position for nine years, the second-longest term in UW System’s history.
A search and screen committee, composed of Board of Regents members past and present, UW leaders, faculty and staff, and one student from UW-Green Bay, led the search to replace Reilly. The 18-member committee received applications and recommendations for the position starting in November 2013. After reviewing the pool of applicants, the committee recommended three finalists, including Cross, Robert King and Peter Garland, to continue on with the process.
Following the submission of the three finalists, a regent selection committee, headed by Falbo, reviewed the candidates in order to narrow down the search to just one. Falbo was aided by five other regent members. The six regents chose one candidate to recommend to the full Board of Regents for final approval Thursday.
As the UW System president, Cross’ duties include more than overseeing the work and policies of the Board of Regents. According to the position’s description released by the UW System for the presidential search, the president is in charge of hiring UW System Administration, ensuring development of UW institutions, planning services for students by means of academics and maintaining control of the budget and all things fiscally related to the system.
The UW System was established in 1971 with John Weaver as the first president. The system began with the merging of the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin State Universities, as mandated by Gov. Patrick Lucey, according to the UW System website. The idea that the accomplishments achieved within the university should be spread throughout the state, or the Wisconsin Idea, was a propeller for the creation of a unified system.
Dana Kampa contributed to this report.
