The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents unanimously appointed Dr. Corey A. King as UW-Whitewater’s newest chancellor. King will step into this role on March 1 as per a University of Wisconsin System press release.
King’s experience includes a vice chancellorship for Inclusivity and Student Affairs at UW-Green Bay, and he has worked in executive positions at Bethune-Cookman University, Florida Atlantic University and other institutions of higher education, according to the press release.
King’s appointment comes after former chancellor Dwight Watson’s resignation in June 2021 due to a cancer diagnosis, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Jim Henderson served as interim chancellor from July 2021 to April 2022 but resigned due to objections toward a planned free speech survey which was shared with all students across University of Wisconsin System campuses later that fall. John Chenoweth, former UW-Whitewater provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, took the post after Henderson’s resignation and will be replaced by King, according to UW-Whitewater student Will Hinz.
Hinz, a senior and president of Whitewater Student Government, said he believes the UW-Whitewater community is excited for King’s appointment.
“We’ve had a few years of some different leadership in the chancellor’s office,” he said, likening the appointment of a new chancellor to dominoes falling into place. “After we have the chief executive, we’re able to really move more quickly on other positions that have needed to be filled on this campus.”
Liz Gartland, another senior at UW-Whitewater and former student government leader, noted that the chancellor search was the first to occur since Watson’s resignation, and many of those who had participated in that search have departed UW-Whitewater, making the search an exciting prospect.
“In general, the campus was excited to be involved in the process,” Gartland added.
Chenoweth’s service as interim chancellor was met with excitement, especially given his previous service as the dean of UW-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics, Gartland explained.
“I think that provided a lot of peace of mind for people,” Gartland said. “We all felt like we trusted everything in his hands, so I don’t think that there was any mass panic when it came to how long it took to fill the chancellor position.”
Gartland participated in a select number of candidate interviews for the chancellorship but did not speak with King during that process.
“I trust my student government leaders when they say that they’re excited and they think he’ll be a good fit, but I myself am interested to see what his path is going to be,” she said.
Katie Popp, a UW-Whitewater sophomore and associate campus editor for UW-Whitewater’s student newspaper The Royal Purple, reported on the chancellor search since early November.
The Whitewater community was very involved with the search process, according to Popp, who said finalist visits were well attended by students and staff.
“Between the thorough questions and representation, it was easy to tell how much these members of the university community care to find a candidate that will remain loyal to the campus as well as be involved with student and staff functions,” Popp said.
Popp also mentioned campus hopes that King can expand the university’s equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and said that while Whitewater has programs in place, the campus community is hopeful he will expand programs and boost inclusivity.
Ultimately, Hinz said he is looking forward to seeing King’s perspective on challenges the campus faces like enrollment and how to better serve students. He is particularly looking forward to collaboration between King and Chenoweth, who will be moving back into the provost’s office.
“[Chenoweth] has a ton of institutional knowledge and Dr. King has a ton of experience that he can bring to the campus, so I’m really looking forward to those two working closely together,” he said.
Consistency and campus involvement were major concerns for students, Popp said.
“Since 2018, students are definitely looking for consistency in the chancellor position,” Popp said. “What is most important to students is the presence of the chancellor, and he did well at speaking at student organization events and meetings, including the student government and first-year student programs.”
Hinz also spoke highly of King’s character, noting that students admire King’s authenticity and personability.
“[Students] really do feel valued when we have someone like that in the chancellor’s office, where they can build relationships with that person that they otherwise would not have,” Hinz concluded.
Liam Beran is the former campus news editor for The Daily Cardinal and a third-year English major. He has written in-depth on higher-education issues and covered state news. He is a now a summer LGBTQ+ news fellow with The Nation. Follow him on Twitter at @liampberan.
