UW-Oshkosh names new chancellor to oversee university

The Universities of Wisconsin system has selected the next chancellor to oversee UW-Oshkosh as the university continues to try and close a structural deficit.

The system’s Board of Regents on Tuesday unanimously approved the appointment of Manohar Singh to serve as the university’s 12th leader. He will take the post July 1. 

Singh is currently the interim president of Western Connecticut State University, a position he’s held since 2023. Under his leadership, that university became financially stable and reversed years of enrollment decline, according to UW-Oshkosh. Singh has previously had leadership roles at universities in California, Pennsylvania and New York.

“I am moved by the passion of UW-Oshkosh students pursuing their dreams, the devotion of faculty mentoring them with compassion and rigor, and the dedication of staff ensuring student success every step of the way,” Singh said in a statement. “They are the reason I believe in the promise of this university — and the boundless potential of what we can achieve together.”

Singh earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Panjab University, Chandigarh in India, as well as a master’s degree in economics from University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He earned a Ph.D. in finance from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said in a statement that Singh’s “background in finance and administration” will be a benefit to the university, which began the school year with the largest structural deficit in the state university system.

The university has said it is working toward a plan to eliminate the deficit by the end of 2026.

In October, UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt announced he would step down in June after a decade leading the college, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Last year, faculty voted they had no confidence in Leavitt over his handling of the campus’ budget deficit, which included cutting more than 200 positions. According to UWO, Leavitt plans to teach chemistry at the university after spending a year away at another college.