Fortunato_NC's Journal: UW's loss is UNCC's Gain

A relatively minor news item caught my eye today. Last Friday, the president of the University of Wyoming, Philip L. Dubois, was elected chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Dubois's signature is one of the four on my UW diploma, and I used to see his face nearly everyday when I logged on to UW's Online UW website to work on my distance learning classes.

Although I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Dubois in person, his presence at UW has definitely had a positive impact on my life. Before his eight years at UW, the school's distance learning efforts were focused on traditional correspondence learning, with a smattering of site-based teleconference courses offered through a partnership with the Wyoming community colleges. In 1999, the UW Outreach School offered its first courses through Online UW. This program is what enabled me to finish my bachelor's degree. I'll always be grateful to the Dr. Dubois and the rest of the administration at UW for making the decision to charge in-state tuition rates to all Online UW students. Without affordable tuition, I may never have decided that finishing my degree was a realistic possibility.

But Dr. Dubois's tenure at the University of Wyoming was not only marked by progress at the Outreach School. Laramie's students enjoyed the benefits of improved fundraising that saw average annual giving to the school nearly triple between 1997 and 2002. UW's athletic teams enjoyed great success in the MWC (including a recent bowl victory over UCLA), and UW's campus recieved a facelift, with improvements to the libraries, a new athletics center, the Prexy's Pasture development, and more. Outside magazine named UW one of the top 40 schools (#34, to be exact) in its "Books and Backcountry" feature in the September 2003 issue.

UW also made great strides in growing its student population, finding great success with special deals offering students from nearby states tutition at 150% of in-state rates. These alumni will donate to UW for years to come, send their children to UW, and many took up permanent residence in the state.

UNCC is familiar ground for Dr. Dubois, whose last job was as a political science professor and vice-chancellor at UNCC. There is no doubt that they're pleased to see him return. UNCC is getting a capable, hard-working administrator, whose dedication to excellence will make UNCC the pride of the UNC system of schools. While UW's students and alumni regret seeing Dr. Dubois move on, we wish him and his family all the best in their new home.