Gerhard Casper, provost of the University of Chicago, will step down as the U. of C.`s chief academic officer at the end of the academic year to rejoin the university`s law faculty, university officials confirmed Wednesday. Casper`s decision came as a surprise to many on the campus, where he has been considered a leading contender to eventually succeed U. of C. President Hanna Gray. A highly regarded expert in constitutional law, Casper was a finalist last year in Harvard University`s search for a new president.
The university made no official announcement of Casper`s resignation, which was publicized in a student newspaper after Gray informed faculty senate members in a memo.
University sources said they were not aware of any major policy differences between Casper and Gray, who is known as a tough-minded administrator. They speculated that his resignation might not affect his viability as Gray`s potential successor.
Casper was quoted by the Chicago Maroon as saying, ”I have been provost for three years and I have come to the conclusion that three years is enough.”
According to the Maroon, Casper said that his return to teaching ”was a long time in the making” and that he had only reluctantly accepted the administrative post that he has held since 1989. German-born Casper, 54, served as dean of the law school from 1979 to 1987. He joined the faculty in 1966.
”He missed teaching,” said Geoffrey Stone, the law school dean. ”He decided that he had learned what he had become provost to learn.”
University sources said Casper`s successor is expected to be IBM Corp. executive Kenneth W. Dam, a former deputy secretary of state and a U. of C. law graduate. He previously served as the university`s provost and as a faculty member.
Dam, 59, is vice president of law for IBM. He held the provost`s position from 1980 to 1982. He received a law degree from U. of C. in 1957.
”Gerhard Casper has served the university with exceptional distinction and effectiveness as provost,” Gray told the U. of C. Chronicle, a publication of the university news office. ”He has brought an unwavering sense of the university`s central goals and standards to his decisions and judgments. And all of us who have worked with him admire his creativity, energy and collegiality.”
Casper has ”been a popular provost,” said John Coatsworth, chairman of the history department. ”He has an open, congenial and communicative style. Many faculty are disappointed he`s resigning.”
As provost, Casper established a university council on teaching in an attempt to increase the emphasis on instruction and upgrade training of teaching assistants.
Gray and Casper caused some waves on campus recently with a one-year hiring freeze to stem a $2.5 million deficit. In December, Casper appointed a task force on planning and budget issues to take stock of the university`s long-term financial prospects.
Because of the cloudy outlook for federal research funding and student financial aid, Casper told the Maroon, ”We`re budgeting under conditions of extreme uncertainty.”
In another blow to the U. of C., the Department of Health and Human Services said last week the university charged the government for about $1 million in unallowable overhead costs related to research. U. of C. officials disputed the government report and said the amount is less than $180,000.
