Dr. Sharon Gaber is the fifth chancellor at UNC Charlotte and is the latest campus CEO to join Higher Ed Athletics for a wide-ranging conversation. The talk begins with Chancellor Gaber explaining the strategic plan that has helped Charlotte inch closer to its goal of being a R1 research university. The conversation turns to cabinet leadership and Dr. Gaber gives advice to aspirational athletic directors that may not fully understand what it means to be the athletic director on a university-wide cabinet. Dr. Gaber shares details on the $70 million football stadium renovation as part of the Evergreen Athletics Facility Master Vision. She also shares how the original plan of phase one was a $60 million renovation until it was decided to add $10 million in institution trust funding to add a cafeteria. Smith asks Chancellor Gaber, who as an academic is an expert in city and regional planning, if they are preparing themselves to join a power conference one day. The conversation quickly turns to a back-and-forth about what the new CFP could mean for Group of Five institutions, too. Dr. Gaber agrees that a modern athletic director role is similar to that of a college president/chancellor, and gives advice to those in or preparing for the modern AD position. The conversation ends with parting advice for aspirational athletic directors from the perspective of a university chancellor and what characteristics are most important.
See a full transcript on my website: https://higheredathletics.com/2024/11/19/unc-charlotte-chancellor-sharon-gaber/
0:00 Introduction
0:20 Nearing R1 Research Status
4:20 Strategic Plan "What's Next"
7:56 Normative Career Pattern of a University Chancellor
13:23 Describing Leadership Style for the Chancellor's Cabinet
16:07 How can an aspirational AD ready themselves to be a good Cabinet member?
25:55 $70 million Stadium Renovation
31:43 Preparing for Power Conference?
34:38 Thoughts on the CFP as a Group of 5
35:36 Why a Modern AD is similar to Presidents/Chancellors
40:06 Parting Advice for Aspirational ADs from Chancellor Gaber
