Dr. Robert Witt Named UA President

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dr. Robert Witt has been named president of The University of Alabama. Witt comes to UA from the University of Texas at Arlington where he has served as president since 1995.

The Board of Trustees today voted unanimously to appoint Witt to the position. Witt was selected by a presidential search committee from among some 150 applicants and nominees.

Described as “a learned scholar, a chairholder in a top 10 business school, an experienced president with a long and aggressive track record, and a community builder,” Witt brings excellent academic credentials as well as top-level teaching and administrative experience to UA.

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 at a business school ranked by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top seven schools of business in the world.

In 1995, Witt went to UT-Arlington as interim president. He was named permanent president in 1996. UT-Arlington, described as “facing seemingly insurmountable problems” in 1995, is the fastest growing university in Texas today, with a 12.5 percent enrollment increase last fall alone.

At UT-Arlington, Witt’s accomplishments included:

• Partnering with the Chamber of Commerce to establish the Arlington Technology Incubator;
• Creating a Nanotechnology Research and Teaching Facility; and
• Establishing the University’s first alliance of African American ministers and a Hispanic Advisory Board to assure the needs of minority students are addressed.

In addition, UT-Arlington recently broke ground on an $8.5 million Workforce Development and Continuing Education building and the fourth new student housing facility to be built in two years.

Witt received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Bates College, his M.B.A. from Dartmouth College and his Ph.D. from Penn State University.

On campus last week to meet with members of the University community, Witt addressed faculty, staff and students in a public meeting, and met with the Faculty Senate steering committee, students and other groups.

In his remarks to the open meeting audience, Witt called being chosen for The University of Alabama presidency “one of the greatest honors I’ve received in my career.” He said he was drawn to UA’s “nationally ranked programs,” strong commitment to research, large and active alumni base and its potential to become a top-tier university.

“I’m at a stage in my career [where] I’m not looking for a stepping stone to my next job,” he said. “I’m looking for a capstone, and I can’t think of a better capstone to an academic career than the flagship university of the state of Alabama.”

Witt praised the work of Interim President Barry Mason, whom he has known for more than 20 years, for moving the campus forward.

“Advancing the core mission of teaching, research and service is paramount,” Witt said. He noted that his academic values include understanding that when an institution enrolls a student, it shares in the responsibility of his or her well-being; that faculty governance and a relationship with the academic community are built on communication; and that pursuing aggressive goals and high standards is a key to success.

Witt cited opportunities in forming stronger collaborative and strategic alliances with a variety of institutions, organizations, and community groups; leveraging resources to achieve goals; strengthening research support to enable faculty to increase their funding, and raising public funds.

He noted that alumni and friends “give to an institution because of pride, not need.” UA’s strong athletics program contributes to that pride, he said. “It’s extremely important. A strong intercollegiate program gives you visibility on a constant basis. If a university had to go and pay for the coverage on a daily basis that a strong, successful intercollegiate program offers, no university could afford to buy that kind of coverage. Equally important…a strong intercollegiate program builds relationships with alumni and current students. It builds the bonds that lead to financial support of the institution. It is vital,” he said.

When it comes to recruiting top students, Witt said, “The University should own this state.” He expressed strong commitment to an aggressive recruitment plan.

Witt’s wife, Anne, is the daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Cleino of Tuscaloosa. She graduated from UA in 1967. Her father is a professor emeritus of music at UA.