New UMass Chancellor to take reins on Aug. 1

By Dan Ring

05/06/2008- The Republican

BOSTON - It's time to make the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts competitive nationally, said Robert C. Holub today after being unanimously approved by the university's Board of Trustees as the next chancellor of the flagship campus.

During a special meeting of trustees in Boston this afternoon, Jack M. Wilson, president of the University of Massachusetts, and Holub said they want to raise the standing of the Amherst campus among national research institutions.

Holub, who plans to start around Aug. 1 in Amherst, said he will need time to transform the campus.

"My most important task"

"Perhaps my most important task as chancellor will be to take the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to a higher level," he said. "Amherst cannot be content excelling among publics in New England. In my view, it should seek to compete with the best public institutions across the country," Holub said.

He reiterated his comments at a press conference in Amherst later in the day.

Holub, now the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, won the position over three other finalists.

"I'm just very honored to be chosen as the chancellor for the University of Massachusetts at Amherst," Holub, who turns 59 in August, said.

Son of a clothing salesman

Holub, an accomplished academic who grew up in New Jersey, is the son of a clothing salesman who never went to college. He told reporters his mother waited until she was about 50 to obtain a GED.

Holub said he deeply believes in the value of public education as a way to achieve success. "Public higher education is the most powerful dimension of the American dream," he told trustees.

Holub is scheduled to be introduced to Springfield leaders during a breakfast Tuesday in Springfield arranged by the two trustees from the city.

"Public universities have an obligation to reach out to the cities and the regions that they are in and to be a partner with them in various endeavors," Holub said. "One of the reasons I'm going to Springfield is because we want to signal that right away."

UMass, Springfield ties

Trustee Henry M. Thomas III, president and CEO of the Urban League of Springfield, said Holub's scheduled visit to Springfield sends a message that trustees will work very hard to improve ties between the city and the Amherst campus.

"It's real expression of what we can expect for the future with regard to the university, Springfield and the Western Massachusetts region being more closely hooked to the hip," said Thomas.

The administration of Gov. Deval L. Patrick is pushing for the Amherst campus to establish a classroom presence in downtown Springfield.

After the vote in Boston, Holub met with Amherst faculty and staff at the Campus Center. In a press conference, Holub said he wants to ensure that the university remains affordable and wants to look at the structure of financial aid. "I want to look at it very closely...(to ensure) we're not pricing anyone out," he said.

Salary not settled

Holub will still need to negotiate his salary. His predecessor, John V. Lombardi, received $347,000 a year.

After a dispute over Wilson's plan to reorganize leadership of the five-campus University of Massachusetts system, Lombardi left on Sept. 1 to become president of Louisiana State University.

Thomas W. Cole Jr. is serving as interim chancellor and was not a candidate to become the new chancellor.

Wilson recommended Holub as the new chancellor, hailing his academic accomplishments, broad administrative experience and strong record in strategic planning.

Holub's background

Holub has served as the top academic officer the past two years at the University of Tennessee. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree and doctorate from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Holub and his wife, Sabine, have daughters aged 7, 5 and 1.

The two trustees from Springfield, Thomas and Edward W. Collins Jr., praised the selection of Holub.