Dr. Dwight C. Watson – Black Men in Educational Leadership

Dr. Dwight C. Watson, Chancellor of UW-Whitewater

In the fall of 2019, during his first month on the job as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Dr. Dwight C. Watson held a series of listening sessions with administrators, students, faculty and staff. It was part of his year-one plan to set goals and get to know the campus and surrounding community, according to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine.

When asked about his favorite part of his new job, Watson had one answer for Royal Purple, the college newspaper: the people.

“I always said I wanted to be in the right place, at the right time with the right people,” Watson said as reported by Royal Purple, adding that he always knew he wanted to be in an important and “pinnacle position” and began planning his career soon after graduating from college. His career began as a history teacher for kindergarten through eighth grade, first in South Carolina, then North Carolina and Minnesota.

He earned a master’s degree in education and bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of South Carolina. He also earned his Associate of Arts in liberal arts education from the University of South Carolina – Sumter. Watson also has an Ed.D. in education (curriculum and instruction) from North Carolina State University.

After a long career in public education, Watson served most recently as the provost and vice president of academic and student affairs at Southwest Minnesota State University from 2015-2019. He was also dean of the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa from 2010-2015, associate dean of the Teacher Education Program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 2007-2010, and chair of the Department of Education at Hamline University from 2002-2007.