Friday, Jan. 8, was a whirlwind of a day for NC State chancellor-elect Randy Woodson, one that began with his nomination and acceptance as the 14th chancellor in university history, setting off a sequence of meetings, introductions and celebrations both on and off campus.
Over the next several months, constituents from the NC State community will undertake one of the most important jobs in the life of a university – the search for a new chancellor. Earlier this week, we took to the streets to speak with a number of NC State students, faculty, staff and alumni in hopes of finding out which qualifications and characteristics they feel are most important for our future chancellor to possess.
Before he took the stage in front of members of the NC State family gathered Tuesday afternoon for a standing-room-only welcome celebration, our new chancellor Jim Woodward spent a few minutes speaking with us on camera. Watch the video — the first of many to come from Chancellor Woodward as he keeps his promise of openness and transparency.
From the youngest undergrad to members of the university’s Board of Trustees, members of the NC State family gathered Tuesday afternoon for a standing-room-only celebration to officially welcome former professor Jim Woodward back to the university as chancellor.
After a long, distinguished career in higher education, Jim Woodward found himself quite comfortable in retirement – a career choice that allowed the former UNC-Charlotte chancellor an opportunity to relax the days away (sans jacket and tie, of course) with his wife, Martha, and their new puppy. Then came a Sunday afternoon phone call from UNC system president Erskine Bowles, who asked if Woodward – whose teaching career began at NC State in 1968 – would be interested in returning to campus as the university’s chancellor. It was the only position, Woodward recalled earlier this week, capable of luring him out of retirement.
Dr. Jim Woodward has been named of North Carolina State University, bringing years of administrative experience and leadership to the university. Woodward, who started work at NC State June 9, previously served as the chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from 1989 to 2005.