New MU Chancellor gets ready for first school year

Less than three weeks into the job, University of Missouri-Columbia Chancellor Alexander Cartwright is getting ready for the challenges of his first year.

“The first year the biggest thing is to learn about the institution,” Cartwright said. “I have a lot to learn about the institution. I want to understand what we’re doing, what we can do better and really to get to know all the people — faculty, students, staff, administrators. With that knowledge you can really think about where are we ultimately headed and how are we going to get there.”

Cartwright comes to the university from the State University System of New York. He said as chancellor, he wants to focus on interacting with students on a personal level.

“As chancellor, if you’re not interacting with students, you’re too distant from what’s important,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright and first-year University of Missouri system president Mun Choi recently helped students move into their dorm rooms. Cartwright said it’s opportunities like that to help see what needs to be worked on.

“The other thing I’m interested in is how are we presenting ourselves to everybody that comes onto the campus,” Cartwright said. “What happens when a parents comes? What happens when a first enters the campus? Those are important aspects of what we do.”

To continue to meet with students on a personal level, Cartwright said he’s already met with student groups for both undergraduate and graduate students and plans to meet with them regularly. He said he was going to meet with them in the union, in their space.

“I want to go to where they are to meet with them and meet other students as well,” Cartwright said. “I’ve made it clear when I’m walking around the campus, I want students to feel free to stop and talk to me.”

Cartwright said ideally other administrators and staff will follow his example and the campus will continue to become more open and inclusive for students.

“For me the big thing is, we are making sure Mizzou is an inclusive environment and everyone feels at home within our institution and feels value,” Cartwright said. “It’s that feeling of we are part of the same community. You’re here we want to make sure you feel safe and secure. That’s what we’re focused on.”