Daily Egyptian Politics Editor

Quality of education underscored by a commitment to students is a high priority for one SIUC chancellor candidate.

Scott McNall, provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University-Chico, will answer questions from faculty, students, administrative staff and civil service workers at forums today and tomorrow. He is the fourth and final candidate to visit SIU for the chancellor position.

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McNall said that as an administrator, he constantly has developed new methods of dealing with problems that perennially plague campuses, such as retention.

I am an innovator, McNall said. I find new resources for institutions and create new programs with those resources.

In the last two weeks, he has developed two new programs at CSU-Chico aimed at improving undergraduate education.

One such retention-based program, which he said has been used by several institutions since its inception, is a course-linked undergraduate study program.

The program ensures students are co-enrolled with the same group of students in at least three classes.

This promotes intellectual and friendship groups that give students a better chance of succeeding in those classes, he said.

In addition, the plan fosters writing across the curriculum. Students can collectively draw on experience and knowledge gained in an English composition class and apply it to another class, such as political science.

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McNall said his programs are brainchildren of his educational philosophy, part of which is that every student can successfully obtain a university education.

Anyone can succeed if sufficient support is given, he said. I never have operated from idea that you need to eliminate students from an institution.

The other new program McNall developed puts all of CSU-Chico’s advisement on a departmental level.

People have tried everything to improve the quality of advisement in institutions, he said. In the end, you must have people who are good advisers.

McNall’s problem-solving approach is based on his experience as a both a student and a faculty member.

I look at a university problem from the perspective of both a faculty member and a student then deal with it like a research problem and craft answers, he said.

One of those potential difficulties in which McNall could deal is negotiating with SIUC’s Faculty Association. However, McNall said his experience as president of a faculty union at Arizona State University and an administrator at The University of Toledo has prepared him for the union negotiation process.

I believe reasonable people can work things out, he said. I’m not uncomfortable with the thought of union negotiations.

Like most higher education administrators, McNall has little time to call his own. He spends that time enjoying the outdoors by fly fishing and hiking.

McNall believes he will bring a fresh enthusiasm to the position of chancellor.

Basically, I like universities, he said.