Michael Whiteford, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University, spoke and answered faculty questions at the Knight Library on Thursday in the hopes of becoming dean of the University’s College of Arts and Sciences. Whiteford is the third of four candidates to visit and speak.
Whiteford said the biggest issue to resolve is the hiring and retention of strong and diverse faculty by working with the state legislature to increase faculty salaries and ensuring that strong research draws faculty.
“Hiring of top notch faculty is almost first and foremost on my radar screen,” Whiteford said. “Good research will often bring good financial support to research programs. Research dollars can benefit not only principal investigators, but many return dollars can benefit the whole institution.”
Whiteford graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Beloit College in 1967; he later earned both his master’s and Ph.D from the University of California at Berkeley. He specializes in cultural anthropology, especially in medical choices, health and medical care in Latin America. He has worked in various administrative positions at Iowa State University since 1981. Whiteford said his experience in anthropology caters to the diverse nature of the College of Arts and Sciences.
“Cultural anthropology is a similar environment to the University of Oregon (as a liberal arts school),” Whiteford said. “It’s an eclectic discipline, and the breadth and scope of anthropology mirrors that of the College of Arts and Sciences.”
Whiteford said he can help solve the faculty problems here because of his accomplishments in hiring diverse faculty and encouraging a sense of community among his current faculty.
“I made good hires and brought together a rather fractious college,” Whiteford said. “We survived budget cuts to come out a stronger college. I have a very open door policy and spend a lot of time talking to faculty to achieve a sense of community.”
Aside from faculty-centered questions, Whiteford said it should be a priority of the College of Arts and Sciences, as the “heart and soul of institutions like the University of Oregon,” to ensure graduates receive the tools to succeed in the world and challenge their thinking.
“Are graduates leaving prepared enough for our global environment?” Whiteford asked. “There is no better way to prepare our undergrads than to offer a liberal arts education and resist temptations to make education narrow and technically oriented.”
Whiteford also expressed concern about the affordability of a college education and said he wants to increase the number of student scholarships and the amount of aid offered.
“I think affordable education is becoming unreachable for many and leaving others in a debt,” Whiteford said. “Fundraising through donors is the easiest thing to get dollars for students.”
Through his travels and research in Latin America, Whiteford said, he learned that it is extremely important for undergraduates to have opportunities in research. He said it is important to “provide students with some sort of cross-cultural experience” as part of the educational process.
Amalia Gladhart, associate professor in the Department of Romance Languages, said she agreed with Whiteford’s top priorities and thought he showed enthusiasm.
“He seemed to know about the University and was eager to be here,” Gladhart said. “He didn’t jump to too easy an answer. I agree that making good faculty hires is crucial. I think he was more articulate about the specifics of what he would do here.”
Keith Gonzalez, a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Information Technology staff, said he was impressed with the answers to faculty questions.
“I think that Dr. Whiteford engaged people and answered questions,” Gonzalez said. “He had very substantive answers to the questions. He wasn’t afraid to put forward possible solutions to questions from the faculty.”
Whiteford explained that the job at Oregon appeals because ISU focuses less on the liberal arts, and he would like to work at a university where his specialties are priorities.