Hackney, Aiken miss days at U.

Absence really does make the heart grow fonder – especially, it seems, for former University administrators. Despite their prestigious promotions, both former President Sheldon Hackney and former Provost Michael Aiken say they miss life at the University. Hackney – who became head of the National Endowment for the Humanities in August – said he longs for the energy of the University. "I visited Labor Day weekend and I did miss it more suddenly," he said. "The pace of life is so fast there and the energy level is so high. I began to think, gee, it would be nice to be back." Hackney said after his four-year term as NEH chairperson he might return to the University to teach history. "That's a very good possibility," he said. Aiken said he, too, misses the University. It's been three months since the former provost left the University to become chancellor of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He said he will always have "fond memories of Penn." "Penn will always have a special place in my heart," Aiken said in a telephone interview last week. "I am very proud to have been associated with the University for the nine years that I was there." He said it is "hard to know" if he will enjoy being Illinois' chancellor more than he liked being provost of the University. "I think it would be easier to make a judgment like that in six to nine months, when I'm really settled in," Aiken said. "I have a feeling that even though the responsibilities are different, the amount of work will be the same." Aiken is still in the process of "getting to know" the university, which involves meeting with faculty, students and other administrators. So far, the students have only good things to say about him. Illinois Student Government representative Sharon Yates said she thinks Aiken understands the needs of the students. "I think he's great," Yates said. "I had a meeting with him and he really listens to our problems. He puts a real emphasis on undergraduate education, which is what I think [Illinois] really needs right now." "Once he really learns how [Illinois] works, I think he'll be a great asset to our university," she said. Mike Dizon, associate campus editor of the university's independent student newspaper The Daily Illini, said Aiken has taken a particular interest in international and minority students. He said that Aiken has met with various student groups on campus and has made himself accessible to students – something he said the school's former chancellor did very seldom. "Compared to our old chancellor, he's been more open and more understanding of students' needs," Dizon said. "He met with our newspaper the other day. He is very open to student input." Aiken, himself, said he is concerned with developing education opportunities at Illinois, an institution which is known for its research resources.