THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
NEWS
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2009
13A
GRAY-LITTLE (CONTINUED FROM 12A)
Andrew Dye for The Univesity Daily Kansam
Newly appointed Chancellor Gray-Little surveys the campus of the University of North Carolina, where she spent the last 38 years of her career, ultimately rising to Provost. While at UNC, Gray-Little emphasized scholarship and academic research. Gray-Little said that research and diversity were among her top priorities for the University of Kansas.
statistics and tutoring. Gray-Little said Shade enjoyed working with students without, having to grade math papers.
Gray went to law school at UNC in 1978 while Gray-Little was working there. His reasoning was to get one good meal a week at her place. One thing that Gray enjoys is their mother's recipe for yeast rolls, Gray-Little is the only one left in the family who knows how to bake them since their mother died.
Gray spent some time talking about how amazed he was that she could fit so much into her schedule and raise her children well.
LIFE AS A JAYHAWK
Gray-Little has made broad statements about what she wants to see accomplished during her time at the University. They include increasing diversity and research along with attaining National Cancer Institute designation.
There has been some difficulty in locking down how Gray-Little plans to accomplish these goals. She said she wanted to look at them and see what could feasibly be done to achieve them after her arrival.
"So you have a goal, which is general, but the things you have to do to get there are very specific." Gray-Little said. "I think in both cases it important to look at what is being done and what can be done. I know where I'd like to go, but I don't know all the specific steps to get there."
As for increasing diversity, she said that she wouldn't do exactly what was done at UNC because
a program needed to be tailored to the needs of the university.
"You do the tough jobs yourself; she definitely gets that part."
While at UNC, she worked on diversity with a program that had all departments on campus annually review how diverse their staff was in
HOLDEN THORP Chancellor at UNC
comparison to the audience they were serving. She sees her efforts as successful, as does M. Cookie Newsom, director of diversity education and assessment in the office of minority affairs at UNC.
"I don't think there was as much sustained effort on it as when she became the provost," Newsom said. "I know that it's something she's certainly kept on her radar. Are we just talking or are we doing anything?"
Gray-Little may try something similar to increase diversity at the University, but said she wanted to look at what had been done and what really could be done before saying exactly what she planned to do.
Her focus on increasing research is not merely funding based. She said she wanted students to understand that what they're doing in
their majors or fields is considered research or scholarship.
"If you were writing a term paper in the department of English, that is scholarship and research, that is the kind of research that is done there." Gray-Little said. "If you are in art and drama and you're part of a production or a review, that's the kind of scholarship there."
She said changes like that didn't require extra funding, just a change of perspective. She said students should understand what research means when graduating from a research institution such as the University.
The National Cancer Institute designation is also a part of her research initiative. This, she said, would bring both funding and a certain recognition to the worth of the University's research.
Other universities have failed to gain approval the first time by the National Cancer Institute. Gray-
Little did not rule out this possibility, but said she believed the University would achieve it even if it wasn't on the first try.
Along with these goals, she intends to plan a major development campaign, or fundraiser, and look at undergraduate retention rates. She said the major development campaign would be one of her first priorities after arriving in Kansas.
Gray-Little worked on a major development campaign at UNC that was mainly used for academic funding and the construction of academic buildings. She likened it to the one that would occur here, though the focus of the campaign has not yet been set, nor has the timing. But she made a point about why additional funds for academics really benefit a university.
"If you want to attract science faculty you have a good lab" Gray-Little said. "If you attract good people then they can get research funding, and if they can get research funding you can get good graduate students and afford the graduate students. So it's a cycle."
Gray-Little said she had already been speaking with an institutional researcher on undergraduate retention rates, which is the rate of
undergraduates who begin attending the universities and continue there for the remainder of their undergraduate careers. When UNC looked into this, she said, they considered a number of factors including who stayed, who left, why for both groups and what could have been done to keep those who left.
When Gray-Little discusses the differences in funding between academics and athletics, she focuses on improving academics without weakening athletics. She said funding for athletics was often unavailable for
academic use, and that it should not be that athletics needs less focus, but that academics needs to step up to athletics level.
"I think that in a way athletics has been very successful in doing what it needs to do, and the rest
of the University has to up what it's doing," Gray-Little said. "I don't think there's really anything to gain from putting athletics down. The thing to gain from is raising the academic emphasis, so that's what I think the focus has to be. The
academic element, the University focus, has to be at least as successful as the athletics program."
HER COLLEAGUES'
PRAISE
Everyone The Kansas spoke with at UNC had only good things to say about Gray-Little. Upon hearing this, Gray-Little said, "Well, I pay them."
At least she's honest.
A few words kept recurren when her colleagues described her;
"She's a very classy lady. She's good people. We're going to miss her."
mplative.
M. COOKIE NEWSOM Director of diversity education and assessment
Her colleagues said she always took her time and thought through a question to give the best possible
Contemplative.
Considerate. Kind.
Style. Thoughtful.
Fair. Perceptive.
Warm. Funk. Elegant.
Understanding.
Substantive. Patient
Sharp. Funny.
answer. She did the same during interviews with The Kansan.
Shirley Ort, associate provost and director of scholarships and student aid at UNC, said Gray-Little would always be available to give advice, and that building a trust relationship with her was easy.
"What happens with Bernadette stays with Bernadette." Ort said.
Don Baucom, a Richard Simpson distinguished professor of psychology at UNC and friend and colleague of 40 years, explained that Gray-Little's research as a clinical psychologist on long-term relationships allowed her to understand how to construct them with the people she worked with.
Holden Thorp, chancellor at UNC, complimented Gray-Little and said he learned much from her. He admitted he was saying all of it with a knot in his stomach, because he had never worked in UNC administration without Gray-Little and felt as though he was about to go it alone.
"You do the tough jobs yourself; she definitely gets that part," Thorp said.
More than one employee at UNC brought up the "trade" the school was making between Gray-Little and Roy Williams. Roy Williams is the men's basketball coach at the University from 1988 to 2003 when he left to coach men's basketball at UNC. One professor even brought to the interview a framed editorial cartoon of Roy Williams and other coaches.
Newsm summarized the majority of everyone's thoughts of Gray-Little.
"She's a very classy lady," Newsom said. "She's good people. We're going to miss her. We're sorry to lose her, but you know we stole Roy so we'll presume this is kind of payback. So we'll live with it."
SOON TO COME
Gray-Little said that she almost looked at running a university as if it were a city and that she didn't want to overlook any part of it because a lot of parts are necessary to make it run well. But she said the academic part was the reason the University was there, and that she focuses on it primarily.
"This is a difficult time here, at Kansas and elsewhere, because of the budget and I don't believe that funding is all-important, but I believe that most important things require funding." Gray-Little said.
She said she hoped the experiences and knowledge she gathered at UNC would be beneficial for the University and would help it become more prominent academically, which she said she sensed it had a strong wish to do.
"I hope I can help to do that, to bring a sense there, an element there that makes that possible by the kind of things that we focus on," Gray-Little said. "The kind of things that we spend money on, the kind of things that we raise money for, and by my speaking on behalf on the academic mission."
Edited by Brandy Entsminger
COMPETITION (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
Adam Buhler/KANSAN
The Spencer Museum of Art has been nominated for the KC Visitors' Choice 09 competition as the favorite museum or gallery in the Kansas City area. Carolyn Chinn Lewis, the museum's assistant director, said the museum offered a "laboratory for new thinking, creative energy."
Woodmancy's husband, Glenn, said he thought the town had a lot to offer visitors with different interests.
Asisa Asseily, Kiel, Germany. graduate student, said Lawrence deserved recognition for the restaurants and entertainment downtown, but that a person needed more than a day to fully appreciate the city.
"It's got variety, historical interest," he said. "There are activities for young and old alike."
Cars stream up and down Massachusetts Street late Thursday evening as seen from atop the Eldridge Hotel. The city's quiet downtown, which offers a venue for local businesses, has earned Lawrence a reputation as a great shopping destination, says longtime resident Amy Woodmanm.
"It's all about the people here, really," Asseily said. "That's what makes it a good place — getting to know the people."
Adam Buhler/KANSAN
Asselly said the museum was also a worthy destination for visi-
of Art, said the museum had one particular advantage compared with its competition.
"It's a university art museum. We can provide a laboratory for new thinking, creative energy."
ors because it offered a "sophisticated collection" of art.
Carolyn Chinn Lewis, assistant director of the Spencer Museum
creative energy,
Lewis said. "There's always something new going on here."
Greg Weseloh, Liberty, Mo,
senior, said the museum had a
unique selection of art that merited respect.
ASISA ASSEILY Kiel, Germany, graduate student
"It's all about the people here, really. That's what makes it a good place."
"They've got really good stuff there," Weseloh said. "The exhibits are usually pretty interesting."
The Spencer Museum of Art is competing with four other museums for the vote — the Dolphin Gallery, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of
Art and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
Lawrence is competing with Independence, Mo., Weston, Mo.
Parkville, Mo. and Overland Park.
Although the competition is tough, Lewis said she wasn't concerned about winning but was just thankful to be nominated.
"We're thrilled," Lewis said. "And that will be the icing on the cake if we can win it."
Anyone can vote by going to www.visitkc.com, then to "Visitors' Choice Awards"
Edited by Michelle Sprehe
People can vote every day until Aue. 31.
Winners will be featured on the www.witikc.com Web site.
Recycling piling up at home? Bring it to CAMPUS!
Where?
West Park & Ride Lot
Newspaper
Materials Accepted:
Cardboard
Mixed Paper
Steel Cans
Aluminum
off Clinton Pkwy and Crestline
1 & #2 Plastic
reduce.reuse
RECYCLE
www.recycle.bu.edu