By Travis DeNeal and William Hatfield

Though a chancellor leads a university based on individual style, SIUC chancellor candidate Jo Ann Argersinger says if she is named to the University’s top spot she will not obscure SIUC’s reputation with her own persona.

I would not come here with the intention of making my identity known, but with the idea of making SIU’s identity more widely known, Argersinger said.

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Argersinger, an academic historian and provost at University of Maryland Baltimore County, said if named chancellor she would try to increase the University’s presence in the academic world.

I’m interested in making new friends and new advocates for the University which would benefit the students, the faculty and the staff.

While interviewing for the position of SIUC chancellor, Argersinger attended four open forums for students, faculty, administrators and staff. She also attended scores of other interviews Wednesday and Thursday with deans, top administrators and faculty union representatives.

At a faculty forum in which about 70 faculty attended, Argersinger called SIUC Illinois’ best kept secret.

Much like Truman always felt like he was in the shadow of Franklin Roosevelt, some people here feel like SIU is in the shadow of U of I, she said. The notion of taking a best kept secret and making it visible is really exciting.

As part of her plan to boost SIUC’s reputation nationally and internationally, she will ensure that the diversity on campus would be preserved and expanded.

The corporate community is beginning to recognize the importance of diversity in the workplace, she said. To compete in the global market, people need to have experience with diverse groups of people.

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Graduates of some colleges will not be able to compete because they have not been exposed to different cultures and different processes of thought.

When questioned about how she would promote diversity on campus, Argersinger said that at Maryland she conducted focus groups to identify solutions for increasing minority students. She said working with the African-American community was a high priority at UMBC and would remain one if she is named as SIUC chancellor.

Argersinger also sees a university’s integration with the surrounding community as essential to promoting the reputation of the college.

An institution has a commitment and responsibility to be a vital link to the community, she said. I don’t think we would be serving our public mission if we didn’t.

Most important to her is providing more opportunities for students to succeed, she said.

Argersinger is a strong proponent of partnerships with corporations and other universities to provide better teaching service and improve technology. She said, however, that academic programs should drive the University not information technology.

As provost at UMBC, Argersinger worked to increase the number of scholarships and other financial opportunities for students. She said if chosen she would continue this practice at SIUC.

Students are why we’re here, she said. I love to teach, and I’d like to teach while I was here, though that probably would not be possible the first year.

Concerning negotiations with the Faculty Association, Argersinger said flexibility is the most important virtue.

The best thing the administration can do is be flexible, responsive, and be individually oriented, she said.

When questioned about retention, Argersinger said graduate students tutoring undergraduates and peer tutoring were methods used to retain students at UMBC. She also said she reformed an awful system of advisement at her school. She said baby steps like these increased minority enrollment 20 percent in four years.

She said the key to most University problems and concerns can be solved through unity.

We have to believe in what one another do, she said. We need to love our academic institution. We need to love what we do with it and recognize and welcome change.

The SIUC community can give its evaluation of Argersinger to Steve Scheiner, the chairman of the search committee, in one of the following ways.

Fold, staple and return the form by Feb. 12 to Steve Scheiner, Chemistry Department, SIUC, Mailcode 4409.