UW Oshkosh students will be greeted by a new chancellor this fall as Manohar Singh has taken over the position from former chancellor Andrew Leavitt, who announced he’d be stepping down last October.
Singh, who was chosen unanimously by the Board of Regents, assumed the position on July 1.
He’ll now oversee his first semester as chancellor amid the end of UWO’s academic restructuring plan and continued development toward a redefined university. Part of this involves becoming better integrated within the surrounding community.
Singh, who has worked on the administrative side at many different universities, said that higher education has allowed him to do just that.
He said that as the dean of the School of Professional Studies at Humboldt State University, the president asked him to reestablish a program, which involved fundraising a $10 million endowment.
“We collaborated with local hospitals, local insurance companies, … local legislators from within the state of California,” he said in an interview with the Advance-Titan in May. “Within six months, we were able to hit that target.”
In an interview with the Oshkosh Northwestern, Singh said that the university should be a nexus for everyone and can help serve the various needs of the community.
“Whether you are doing scientific research to increase crop and dairy productivity for farmers or whether you are educating the students to serve as nurses for health care needs, we want to be known as a university that is an anchor institution in the community able to serve the emerging needs of the community because artificial intelligence is coming, and new technologies are coming,” he said.
Singh also said that collaboration within the university is critical for success. When he joined Western Connecticut State University (WCSU), a survey rated the previous year’s shared governance as a 3.6. After one year, that number increased to 6.9.
“There has to be a goal, a vision, that everybody feels is their vision; it’s a shared vision,” he said. “Especially if you are in financial turmoil. … The biggest thing is, the leader must be having a thoughtful blueprint in mind, which can be offered to faculty, staff, students, stakeholders, foundation board, Board of Regents, chancellor’s office.”
UWO announced its $18 million budget deficit two years ago and has been working toward remedying this, including the implementation of a new academic structure that’s expected to save the university $1.5 million annually.
Singh said he’s optimistic about the future of a revamped UWO and feels a passion for pushing the university forward.
“During my interview process [for the chancellorship], I met around 200 people, including the external community to campus,” Singh said. “What I felt there was [that] the challenges have not destroyed the bonds that have formed over the years. The stress in the relationship is visible, but it is not a broken relationship.”
UWO isn’t completely new to Singh. Nine years ago, he applied for a business dean position at the university. He said that during his visit nearly a decade ago, he met people from the area that impressed him with their warmth and dedication to UWO.
“As an administrator, there’s no better place to go than a place that is roaring to go, and where the people are about themselves,” he said. “They’re selfless, they’re focused on the mission and they see their students as human beings.”
A first generation college student himself, Singh’s college journey began at Panjab University in his native country of India, where he received a Master of Arts degree in economics with honors. He went on to receive a second Master of Arts in economics from the University of Waterloo in Canada.
After this, he attended the University of Southern Illinois, Carbondale, where he received his Ph.D. in Finance and worked as a professor at various universities.
On the administrative side of his career, Singh served as the dean of the College of Professional Studies at Humboldt State University.
After this, he became the dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Southern Connecticut State University.
Prior to his chancellorship at UWO, Singh had served as the interim president of WCSU since August 2023, where he helped the institution navigate through financial and enrollment challenges, as well as leading the establishment of the School for Graduate, International and Career Studies.
