Robert Witt (American academic)
Encyclopedia
Robert E. Witt is president of the University of Alabama
, as of March 1, 2003. His experience includes 35 years in the University of Texas system, including 10 years as dean of the University of Texas at Austin business school and eight years as president of the University of Texas at Arlington. Witt received his bachelor's degree in economics in 1962 from Bates College
, his M.B.A. from Dartmouth College
and his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University
.
Witt joined the business school faculty at the University of Texas at Austin
in 1968, and rose through the ranks as chair and associate dean. He was named the Zale Corporation Centennial Professor in Business in 1983. Two years later he was named to the Mortimer Centennial Professorship in Business and that year became acting dean of business. In 1985, he was named dean
, a position he would hold for nine years.
In 1995, Witt went to University of Texas at Arlington
as interim president. He was named permanent president in 1996. His accomplishments at UT-Arlington included:
Witt appeared on campus to considerable skepticism, given his remarks, in a closed meeting of the Faculty Senate Steering Committee, that he supported post-tenure review (PTR.) Exposed by the Alabama Scholars Association, Witt responded to intense negative publicity by withdrawing his support for the change—a change he had tacitly supported during his tenure as president of the University of Texas-Arlington. Texas adopted PTR during this time, despite opposition from a variety of academic groups, including the American Association of University Professors.
In 2003, Witt responded to criticism that his administration encouraged grade inflation on campus by shutting down access the records of the Office of Institutional Research, which until that year had made grade distribution data freely available. The Alabama Scholars Organization, and its newspaper, the "Alabama Observer," had been instrumental in exposing the problem and recommending that the Witt administration adopt public accountability mesures.
Witt responded by taking steps to censor independent faculty publications on the campus of the University of Alabama, including "Alabama Academe," the newspaper of the Alabama chapter of the AAUP. The Academe had been distribued on campus for more than thirty years. The "Alabama Observer," the publication of the Alabama Scholars Association, was also banned, and strict rules adopted to insure that criticism of the Witt administration would not reach the public.
At the University of Alabama, Witt has pursued the following goals, among others:
Dr. Witt is a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, as of March 1, 2003. His experience includes 35 years in the University of Texas system, including 10 years as dean of the University of Texas at Austin business school and eight years as president of the University of Texas at Arlington. Witt received his bachelor's degree in economics in 1962 from Bates College
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
, his M.B.A. from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
and his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
.
Witt joined the business school faculty at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in 1968, and rose through the ranks as chair and associate dean. He was named the Zale Corporation Centennial Professor in Business in 1983. Two years later he was named to the Mortimer Centennial Professorship in Business and that year became acting dean of business. In 1985, he was named dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
, a position he would hold for nine years.
In 1995, Witt went to University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
as interim president. He was named permanent president in 1996. His accomplishments at UT-Arlington included:
- Turning around an enrollment decline
- Partnering with the Chamber of Commerce to establish the Arlington Technology Incubator
- Creating a nanotechnology research and teaching facility
- Establishing the University's first alliance of African-American ministers and community leaders to assure the needs of minority students are addressed.
Witt appeared on campus to considerable skepticism, given his remarks, in a closed meeting of the Faculty Senate Steering Committee, that he supported post-tenure review (PTR.) Exposed by the Alabama Scholars Association, Witt responded to intense negative publicity by withdrawing his support for the change—a change he had tacitly supported during his tenure as president of the University of Texas-Arlington. Texas adopted PTR during this time, despite opposition from a variety of academic groups, including the American Association of University Professors.
In 2003, Witt responded to criticism that his administration encouraged grade inflation on campus by shutting down access the records of the Office of Institutional Research, which until that year had made grade distribution data freely available. The Alabama Scholars Organization, and its newspaper, the "Alabama Observer," had been instrumental in exposing the problem and recommending that the Witt administration adopt public accountability mesures.
Witt responded by taking steps to censor independent faculty publications on the campus of the University of Alabama, including "Alabama Academe," the newspaper of the Alabama chapter of the AAUP. The Academe had been distribued on campus for more than thirty years. The "Alabama Observer," the publication of the Alabama Scholars Association, was also banned, and strict rules adopted to insure that criticism of the Witt administration would not reach the public.
At the University of Alabama, Witt has pursued the following goals, among others:
- Increasing enrollment by approximately 40 percent to 28,000 by the year 2013
- Raising faculty and staff salaries
- Increasing financial aid to students
- Upgrading and expanding facilities
Dr. Witt is a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.