When Dr. Dwight C. Watson was applying to be the new chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, he knew the position was the right fit for him. When the university asked him to reflect on its stated values, Watson recognized that they closely aligned with his own. He says that was one of a few indicators that the post was for him.
Watson, who took the helm in August, is the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s first African-American chancellor.
He’s had a long career in education. Watson served as the provost and vice president of academic and student affairs at Southwest Minnesota State University. He was also dean of the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa, associate dean of the Teacher Education Program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and chair of the Department of Education at Hamline University. As a professor, Watson’s research focused on literacy and language acquisition for students of color. And along the way, Watson was also a K-12 teacher.
“I did not want to leapfrog to a presidency or chancellorship,” Watson says. “I wanted to do the rich and deep work of institutional leadership along the way.”
Now that he’s done the work, Watson says he’s achieved a “pinnacle position at a pinnacle place.” For Watson, that means making the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater the last stop on his career path. He says this will allow him to think long term about the future of the university. With several interim cabinet positions to fill, Watson says he wants to bring a “sense of stability” to the campus.
In his first month on the job, Watson held a series of listening sessions with administrators, students, faculty and staff. It’s part of his year-one plan to set goals and get to know the campus and surrounding community.
“It’s such a place of excellence that I want to celebrate who we are and what we’re about,” he says. “I’m entering through a lens of celebration, not problematizing.”
