JONESBORO -- Arkansas State University at Jonesboro interim chancellor Doug Whitlock promised to make his administration transparent and to listen to faculty as part of the university's healing process after its previous chancellor resigned amid controversy.
Whitlock, 73, who retired in 2013 after serving six years as Eastern Kentucky University's president, was introduced Monday as the interim chancellor during a reception at ASU.
"We need to deal with trust issues," Whitlock said, referring to former ASU Chancellor Tim Hudson's resignation last month after an internal audit revealed that a study-abroad program run by Hudson's wife was mismanaged.
According to the internal audit done by the university, Hudson's wife, Deidra Hudson, directed the study-abroad program on a part-time basis. Hudson advocated to make the position full-time with an annual salary of $50,000 and urged university officials to hire his wife.
When administrators told Hudson that he was forbidden from hiring his wife because he was in charge of the department to which she applied, Hudson requested that ASU cancel the study-abroad program director's position.
The audit also showed Hudson used his position to attempt to earn scholarship money at two universities for his daughters.
Hudson resigned Aug. 2 and did not receive severance pay.
"I want to listen to our faculty and learn more," Whitlock said. "I want to build up credibility. Campuses have got to trust their chancellor and president."
Whitlock took over as chancellor Monday. He will hold the position until June 30 when ASU hires a permanent chancellor, ASU System President Charles Welch said. Whitlock will earn $305,000.
Whitlock said he found ASU similar to Eastern Kentucky University both in enrollment size and in the demographics of its students. Many students at both institutions are first-generation college students, he said.
Whitlock began his education career at Eastern Kentucky University in 1968 as the director of publications. He was executive assistant to the president from 1976 to 1987 and vice president for administrative affairs from 1998 to 2003.
He retired, but in 2007 he was asked to return as interim president.
He retired again in 2013 and worked as a consultant for a university job search firm made up of university presidents and chancellors.
"I don't do retirement well," Whitlock said Monday when introduced to ASU faculty and staff.
He said he wanted to help administrators "regain trust" with their faculty.
"I want to be sure my words and actions matter," he said. "The most important thing is to do what you say you will do."
Welch said he chose Whitlock as interim chancellor after a mutual friend at the Arkansas Research and Educational Optical Network -- a group of Arkansas universities and colleges that promotes communication technology in education -- recommended Whitlock.
"He is a perfect fit," Welch said. "He gets it. I think he's got the right balance."
Welch said ASU "took a hit" under Hudson, but he said he believes Whitlock will repair that.
"We had some failings in leadership," Welch said. "We had some communication issues.
"[Whitlock] understands that. He can help mend some of our fences."
Welch first named Lynita Cooksey, the ASU-Jonesboro provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs and research, as the interim chancellor.
Cooksey said Monday that she did not want to retain the interim position and felt it would be better served by someone from outside the university.
"I think he seems like a good fit," said Mike McDaniel, an ASU professor of communication disorders and president of the ASU faculty senate. "He is plain-spoken and knowledgeable. He did his research on ASU already.
"I think he will help with the trust issues. This isn't his first rodeo."
State Desk on 09/13/2016