WHITEWATER-UW-Whitewater Chancellor Martha Saunders is going home to Southern Mississippi.
She was appointed Thursday as the ninth president of the University of Southern Mississippi.
"The opportunity to return to my hometown in a leadership role is compelling," Saunders said. "I will assist in the rebuilding of a campus devastated by Hurricane Katrina and will work to move USM to the next level of academic excellence."
The unanimous decision by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning to hire Saunders was made after she spent the day on the Hattiesburg, Miss., campus in interviews with university and community leaders.
"Dr. Saunders' vision and experience is the perfect fit for the University of Southern Mississippi at this time in its history," said Robin Robinson, a trustee and chair of the Southern Mississippi Board Search Committee. "As a Hattiesburg native and Southern Miss Alumna, I am confident Dr. Saunders will be a remarkable addition to Mississippi's public university system."
Martha Saunders
Saunders, 59, was the first woman chancellor at UW-Whitewater. She has served as chancellor there since August 2005, replacing Jack Miller, who left to become president of Central Connecticut State University.
Saunders brought leadership, down-home warmth and Southern charm to the position.
Sara Kuhl, director of UW-Whitewater News and Publications, said the campus was excited for Saunders, but also felt a great loss.
During her years on campus, Saunders created a great framework for the university's strategic plan and has a strong presence with faculty, staff and students, Kuhl said.
"Wisconsin's loss is definitely Mississippi's gain," said UW-System President Kevin P. Reilly.
"This is a terrific professional and personal opportunity for Chancellor Saunders. She earned a reputation here as an astute and energetic leader and a great ambassador for our public university. We will move quickly to name an interim chancellor, to ensure continuity in leadership for UW-Whitewater students, faculty and staff."
Before coming to Whitewater, Saunders was vice president for academic affairs at Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga., and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, where she also worked as director of the University Honors Program.
Reilly said Saunders' success in Wisconsin made her a strong candidate for this new leadership post.
"I am mindful that I am leaving one of the finest universities in the country," Saunders said. "The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will continue to thrive because of the quality of its faculty and staff and the incredible talents of its student body.
"The legacy here is strong and will remain so."
Timeline Here are some of the highlights of Martha Saunders' tenure at UW-Whitewater:
August 2005: Martha Saunders becomes the first women chancellor at UW-Whitewater.
Saunders doesn't bring an armload of initiatives to her State of the University address. The new chancellor tells professors, teachers and staff that she respects their accomplishments and won't impose her personal agenda.
Then, she invites the campus community to help shape UW-Whitewater's future.
"As the person tapped to lead the charge, I am asking for your assistance in planning our direction," Saunders says.
December 2005: Saunders publicly acknowledges the controversy she stepped into. Lee Jones, a former dean of graduate studies and continuing education, resigns after a critical audit reveals he repeatedly misused school funds, including credit cards.
April 2006: A second longtime dean, Howard Ross, is demoted after an audit questions his use of university money on language lessons, a personal cell phone and an Internet dating site.
May 2006: Saunders announces a campus-wide audit of all staff members' use of university credit cards.
July 2006: UW-Whitewater begins a five-year, $100 million face-lift with the renovation and rebuilding of the James R. Connor University Center at the heart of the campus.
Also on the schedule is razing Baker and Salisbury halls and construction of a new building for the College of Business & Economics. The $41.5 million building will be finished in time for fall classes in 2009.
In 2008, White and Sayles halls will be razed. By 2010, suite-style residence halls will replace them.
Five years of construction will disrupt the normal campus routines, Saunders says.
"We just won't be able to get places on campus the usual way," Saunders says. "We've built some new sidewalks to get around construction. I trucked around two days to make sure people can get where they're going safely."
March 28, 2007: News is reported that Saunders is the preferred candidate to be president at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Thursday: The University of Southern Mississippi hires Saunders after she spends the day on the Hattiesburg campus in interviews with university and community leaders.
May 21: Saunders will begin her new job in Mississippi.
