Bio: Sandefur was named dean of the College of Letters and Science at UW-Madison in August of 2004. Prior to that, he served as professor of sociology, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, and director of the American Indian Studies Program, all at UW-Madison. He has been on the faculty since 1984 and currently leads a college that has 39 departments and five professional schools. More than half of the school's students are enrolled in his college, which employs about 3,000 people. A member of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, Sandefur is known for his research on American Indians. In 1994, he co-wrote "Growing up With a Single Parent," a famous and definitive text.
Cap Times: What was your initial reaction to being named a finalist for the UW-Madison chancellor post?
Sandefur: "I was very excited and very pleased and felt very honored to be a finalist for the position. So, yes, it feels good."
Cap Times: Can one assume your long tenure at UW-Madison would be viewed as a positive?
Sandefur: "I think that's one of the things that's distinctive about me as a finalist is that I have been here for 24 years and I know the institution very well and I know most of the leadership within the institution very well. But each of the finalists has his or her set of strengths, so it's a nice group I think."
Cap Times: Are there any negatives to having spent the past 24 years at UW-Madison?
Sandefur: "I don't think so. I think what someone from the outside brings is a different perspective or point of view. But also an internal candidate like myself, I have visited other institutions, and I see other deans and administrators on a regular basis I read widely about higher education, so I know how other institutions do things as well."
Cap Times: What are your strengths or selling points?
Sandefur: "As dean I've been very involved in promoting the research excellence of this institution and I've looked at it in a wide variety of fields, from music to astronomy to math to political science and English. So I really have a broad understanding of the different areas within the university and how different disciplines work and what their needs are. So I think that's one of my strengths.
"I've also been very involved in undergraduate education. As an instructor I've won teaching awards and was recognized for my teaching by both my peers and my students.
"And I've always been a strong advocate on campus for diversity initiatives and diversity efforts, so that's another strength I have."
Cap Times: Anything else you'd like to talk about or stress?
Sandefur: "I think the other three candidates are very good, and I think the university is going to end up with a great chancellor out of this process."
