On Tuesday, Feb. 3, UW-La Crosse Economics professor Michael Haupert spoke as a candidate for the vacant College of Business Administration dean position. Haupert explained for the first fifteen minutes of the forum why he believed he would be the perfect new dean for the CBA; his introduction was then followed by questions from the audience.

Haupert has been an economics professor for 25 years at UW-L. The dean position has been vacant since Sept. 2013, and he has kept in mind the qualities that the new dean should embody. After awhile, he realized that instead of telling the search committee what qualities the new dean should have, he decided to apply for the position.

He explained that the new dean of the CBA should be excited about the College of Business and can relate and connect to all types of people. In addition, the new dean should believe deeply in the CBA’s mission statement, which describes providing a high-quality education that will eventually lead students to being self-reliant, globally engaged citizens.

“We need to get our students to think outside of the box, and if we’re going to do that, we need to be able to do that ourselves, and that is exactly what our new dean should be able to do as well,” said Haupert.

Haupert also commented on the current budget proposal in Wisconsin. He explained that although the budget is an issue that will need addressing, he strongly believes that we shall not succumb to it and let it divide us, but rather, we should work together to overcome it.

Reflecting on this current issue, Haupert explains that it is not so much what is happening that matters, but it is how we adapt and change to the issue at hand that truly matters.

“In the face of tightening budgets, we have to ask ourselves: which way do we want to go? We can let it cause a diversion between us, or we can work together and make the best of it,” Haupert explained. “We need to put aside our personal preferences for a common goal.”

In response, a few questions from the audience consisted of how exactly we would make the best of this cut to our budget. Haupert commented that out of any crisis comes great opportunity, and perhaps this recent cut allows the CBA to reorganize and improve the current curriculum so students receive the best education possible. Haupert explains certain aspects of the CBA should be looked at in times of inevitable change such as the improving the array of classes offered by the CBA

Haupert is only the first of four candidates that will be speaking in hopes of becoming the CBA’s new dean.