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University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Takes Carroll College Job

Posted on: Tuesday, 28 February 2006, 15:00 CST

By Kate Schott, La Crosse Tribune, Wis.

Feb. 28--The first person Doug Hastad met on his initial visit to Carroll College was Frank, a custodian.

Frank had positive comments about the Presbyterian-affiliated school, Hastad said, as did the students, faculty and staff he spoke with that day.

Those comments were among the factors that persuaded the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor to agree to become the next president of the state's oldest four-year college.

Hastad, 56, said Monday he will be leaving La Crosse to take the helm July 1 as the 14th president of Carroll College in Waukesha, Wis.

"It's going to be tough," Hastad said. "I expected to retire here. The hard thing about leaving is the people. This is a great institution. You pick your area and it excels."

Hastad replaces Frank Falcone, who is retiring after 13 years as Carroll's 13th president.

Carroll College declined to release what Hastad's compensation would be. Falcone earned a base salary of $298,134 in 2003, plus $35,601 toward an employee benefit plan, according to IRS documents made public by the Waukesha Freeman newspaper. Hastad's current salary is $168,622.

Hastad's announcement was met with mixed emotions.

Brent Smith, a La Crosse attorney and member of the UW Board of Regents, said Hastad is a great leader.

"I congratulate him on getting a job he wanted, but we will miss him tremendously at La Crosse," Smith said. "No doubt that his contribution, as well as others, have put La Crosse on the map as an institution that is very highly regarded not only in the state but in the country."

"In the short term, it's a loss for our region," said Western Wisconsin Technical College President Lee Rasch. "Doug's been a real stellar leader at the university."

UW-L Student Association President Ryan Kockler said he thinks Hastad will do a "wonderful job" at Carroll because he is "very in-tune with the way a private university operates.

"You can see that with some of his plans for tuition increases on this campus, which are very much like a private university," Kockler said.

Representatives from Carroll College are thrilled with Hastad's decision, said William Laatsch, chairman of both the college's board of trustees and the presidential search committee.

"He has done just terrific things at La Crosse with minimal resources," Laatsch said.

Hastad said he was not looking to leave UW-L but was contacted by the search firm hired by Carroll College. He interviewed Feb. 16-17, and was offered the position this weekend.

He pointed to his own undergraduate education, completed at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., as well as past positions at two private schools as reasons why he was interested.

Carroll College also is in one of the state's fastest-growing counties. Hastad hopes to forge partnerships with UW-Milwaukee.

"Somewhere in that seems to be opportunity," he said.

DOUGLAS HASTAD:

--Age: 56

--Occupation: UW-L chancellor. Will start as president of Carroll College in Waukesha, Wis., on July 1.

--Family: Wife, Nancy; children, Jacob and Rebekah, both students at University of Minnesota.

--Education: Doctorate in education, Arizona State University, 1980; master of science, Washington State University, 1972; bachelor of arts, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., 1971.

Positions at UW-L:

--Chancellor, March 2001-present

--Interim chancellor, June 2000-March 2001

--Provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, June 1999-June 2000

--Interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, November 1998-May 1999

--Dean of Human Development Programs and the College of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, November 1997-November 1998

--Dean of the College of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, August 1989-November 1998

Selected community organizations:

--Board of directors, La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, 2005-present

--Board of directors, United Coulee Region, 2002-present

--Board of directors, First Bancorporation, La Crosse, Wis., 2001-present

--Board of directors, Gundersen Lutheran Foundation, 2001-present.

--Board of directors, La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium, 2000-present

--Board of trustees, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, 1999-present

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Copyright (c) 2006, La Crosse Tribune, Wis.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wisc.)

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