Michigan officials interview Chodorow in public forums

In a series of public interviews and receptions yesterday, the University of Michigan community agreed that Penn Provost Stanley Chodorow had made a favorable impression in his bid for the school's presidency. Chodorow, also a medieval history professor, is one of four finalists under consideration for Michigan's top post. In between stories about medieval history, Chodorow fielded questions on topics ranging from the role of research universities to undergraduate education during his interview with the Board of Regents yesterday morning. "He did a very good job of making everyone feel relaxed," Regent Andrea Fischer Newman said. "His breadth of knowledge is very impressive." Regent Rebecca McGowan asked Chodorow how he planned to change Michigan -- especially by 2013, when McGowan's daughter could be attending the university. Chodorow responded by discussing interdisciplinary learning and undergraduate involvement in research. He also spoke on the university's responsibility to its community. "[The public university] has a much more direct relationship to society than a private [university]," Chodorow said. About 60 students and faculty attended a town meeting yesterday where they had the opportunity to ask questions of their own. Chodorow impressed the audience in his discussion of affirmative action, faculty governance and a controversial living and learning program at Michigan. "This guy is able to express articulately many of the things that resonate in this community," Michigan Faculty Senate Chairperson Thomas Dunn said. Chodorow compared the projects he works on at Penn with what could be done at Michigan. For example, Michigan officials are now addressing problems between the school's medical school and hospital. "Penn has put the two -- health systems and the medical school --together," Chodorow said, noting that Michigan should do the same. One student asked Chodorow about his work with students and student leaders. "I find interaction with students to be fantastic," Chodorow said. "It took me about one term to figure that out." Michigan student government leaders said they had been concerned about Chodorow's willingness to listen to student concerns after learning about a comment he made at Penn in 1994. At the time, he said student leaders did not have much time to participate in university policy planning. "He gave a very good response that he's grown since then and that he realizes that he was wrong," Michigan senior and Student Assembly Chairperson Paul Scublinsky said. Scublinsky added that Chodorow's background was impressive, both at Penn and while he was at the public University of California at San Diego. "We obviously need someone who can deal with state government and the community," Scublinsky said, citing the differences between public and private institutions. Chodorow said the forum went smoothly, adding that the public format "worked very well." "The questions that were asked were similar to the kinds of questions we are dealing with at Penn," he said. Chodorow declined to comment on his performance in either the Regents interview or the town meeting yesterday. He attended an invitation-only social function last night. Dartmouth College Provost Lee Bollinger, University of California at Berkeley Provost and Vice Chancellor Carol Christ and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Provost and Vice Chancellor Larry Faulkner are the other three finalists for the presidency. Christ had her day-long interviews Monday. Michigan Daily reporter Jodi Cohen contributed to this artic0le.