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Simpson plans to visit every UB academic department
By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor
It's a daunting task, but UB President John B. Simpson plans to visit every academic department at the university within the next year.
Simpson told members of the UB Council attending the body's first meeting of the spring semester on Monday that it's important for him to meet his constituency, both on and off campus.
"This, I feel, is the kind of thing I want to do—go out and meet people on their own turf and understand what their issues are, what the excitement is…and to get to know in a personal way the individuals and the enterprises that they pursue," he said.
Simpson also introduced to council members James (Beau) Willis, formerly assistant provost at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who Simpson has named as his chief of staff. In his position, which is new to the UB President's Office, Simpson said that Willis will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the President's Office. He also will provide policy and strategic advice to Simpson and serve as the president's liaison, when appropriate, to various UB and off-campus constituencies.
Willis, a biochemist by training, received bachelor's and doctoral degrees from UC Santa Cruz and has held a variety of teaching and administrative positions at that university.
"I managed to persuade him that his future lay in the east," Simpson joked.
In other business, council Chair Jeremy M. Jacobs reported that a restructuring of the council and a redefining of the body's roles and responsibilities were well under way.
Council members during the past year have been working with SUNY Central Administration to "define a role for the council that would reflect the quality of the council members and take full advantage of the members' interests in assisting in UB's progress," Jacobs said. He noted that the restructuring may require members to extend their current commitments to the council, as well as ask the university community "to adopt a culture of council involvement in university issues, policies and opportunities."
Simpson endorsed the idea of having the council serve as an advisory group "in helping me think about the future of the University at Buffalo."
"The notion of having a local advisory council that is very much involved with the president in thinking about the future and setting the course of the University at Buffalo is something that is a very positive outcome for all of us," he said.