MATTHEW HANSEN / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2006 6:00 pm
She’s been president nine years, taken Wesleyan to new heights and has considered moving on for awhile. Those factors, and not a recent clash with faculty, were the main reasons Jeanie Watson decided to retire as president of Nebraska Wesleyan University, she said Wednesday.
A large enrollment increase, a new emphasis on attracting non-traditional students and starting several master’s programs rank among the biggest things that have happened during her tenure, Watson said.
“Wesleyan is by every measure in the very strongest position in its history,” she said. “I think that means it’s a good time for somebody else to come in and take the next step.”
A recent internal survey of Wesleyan faculty seems to show that many professors agreed it was time for Watson to move on.
The spring 2005 survey showed that 10 percent of Wesleyan faculty supported or strongly supported the job Watson was doing as president, according to a school newspaper story and conversations with several Wesleyan professors.
Approximately 20 percent were neutral on the issue, while the remaining professors didn’t approve of Watson’s job performance.
The three-quarters of Wesleyan faculty who took the survey gave significantly higher marks to every other school leader the survey asked them about.
Results were presented to the president’s office and eventually to the university’s Board of Governors at its May 2005 meeting.
Two faculty members and two students sit on the 30-person board.
“In that regard, we’re more progressive than many institutions,” said Professor Rich Patrick, faculty president and a member of the board. “The students and faculty do have a voice and are listened to in everything that happens at the university.”
Watson said much of the conflict stemmed from her decision to recruit nontraditional students and start major’s programs.
The creation of the new University College, the administrative home of many of the new master’s and nontraditional programs, also caused conflict, she said.
Some faculty liked the changes; others worried they would harm Wesleyan’s traditional liberal arts education.
“I think it’s change,” Watson said. “Anytime you expand and grow … there are going to be some differences of opinion.”
Watson will step down in June. The former English professor’s post-retirement plans include writing poetry and spending time with her children in Minnesota and Indiana.
She’s not ruling out a return to another presidential position elsewhere.
“I have really enjoyed doing this job … and I’ll be looking for something that’s been as interesting as this has been,” she said.
“I would just want to publicly say thank you to everyone who’s supported me and continues to support Wesleyan.”
Reach Matthew Hansen at 473-7245 or mhansen@journalstar.com.