Some Parting Words From Chancellor Woodson

When retiring Chancellor Randy Woodson was invited to Tuesday’s joint meeting of the NC State Faculty and Staff senates, he expected attendees to ask a few questions he might not be comfortable answering in one of his final meetings with the guiding bodies for NC State employees.

As it turned out, after an hour of answering questions that had been submitted prior to the two-hour session, there was only one that really tugged hard on Woodson, who will complete his term as NC State’s 14th chief executive on June 30 after more than 15 years of service.

How will Woodson — who moved here from his position as provost at Purdue in 2010 — and his wife, Susan, stay connected to NC State when he leaves the leadership position at North Carolina’s largest university?

“I’m retiring,” Woodson said succinctly.

By that, he meant he is not completely disappearing from the campus life he’s been an integral part of for a decade and a half. However, he does not plan to be leering over the shoulder of his successor when that person is identified, introduced and installed.

“We love this university, and we are retiring to Raleigh,” Woodson said. “We will actually live closer to main campus in retirement than we did when we lived at the Point on Centennial Campus.

“However, I will tell you this: I’m going to give space to the new chancellor.”

That was a luxury Woodson had when he arrived during an era of tumult at NC State, which had three different chancellors in the five years preceding his arrival. To be honest, he said, the new chancellor will likely be expecting a quick introduction, with hard-charging boots on the ground on day 1.

“The average tenure of a university president now is less than five years,” Woodson said. “Frankly, that was our story here. From John T. Caldwell to me, we had a fair number of chancellors, and change happened a lot.

“Campus got accustomed to it.”

Woodson is the third-longest-serving leader in school history, after Col. John W. Harrelson (1934-53) and Caldwell (1959-75).

“Maybe I’ve been here too long,” he said. “The fact is, you haven’t had change in a while. You’ve had steady leadership at chancellor, the provost and in my leadership cabinet. While there’s been some turnover, we’ve had a lot of continuity, and I think that’s served the university well.”

Woodson will watch closely, from nearby, but with hands off.

“I’m not going back to the faculty,” he said. “I will participate [in campus activities] when asked. I have a few faculty who have asked me to teach their classes on occasion, and I will do that if I can without getting in the way of the new chancellor.

“Honestly, that’s important. You have to give people space to do the work of the university. I will not have a formal role, though you will occasionally see me around.”

Particularly in a couple of years, when campus leaders hold the ribbon-cutting for Woodson Hall, the $180 million home to the Integrative Sciences Initiative, now under construction on University Plaza. Otherwise Woodson will be as scarce as a bunny on the Brickyard.

“I really think it’s very important to not be a presence that distracts from the leadership of the institution,” Woodson said. “And I’m going to do everything in my power to do that.”

I’m comforted by the people interested in this job, I’m comforted by the people leading the search and I hope that when that choice is made, that you’ll give [the next chancellor] the same support that I’ve felt.

The chancellor said he will be content to be an academic civilian, serving as his wife’s plus-one as she remains involved in the campus arts community.

“Susan’s passionate about this institution, particularly the arts,” he said. “I can promise you, you’ll see us at Gregg Museum events and performing arts events and those kind of things.

“I’ll be the trailing spouse.”

Woodson managed to add some comforting final words to the group, as it enters a future landscape that will not include him and is roiled by political changes that could threaten federal, state and local funding.

“Look, this is a very tenuous time for universities,” he said. “Many of us have colleagues here at NC State that may be funded by the federal government or who may be federal employees. I understand there’s a lot of angst in our community — that’s natural.

“I understand that because of all of that, there’s more angst and it’s coming at a time with other anxieties here on campus. I’m comforted by the people interested in this job, I’m comforted by the people leading the search and I hope that when that choice is made, that you’ll give [the next chancellor] the same support that I’ve felt.”

With that, the chancellor made what seemed to be a final good-bye to those who have served under him through his retirement.

“What I hope that you’ll all do going forward is give the next leader of the institution the kind of support that I felt from the faculty, staff and students at NC State,” Woodson said. “I’m going to do my part to help with that transition.

“So those are my parting words.”