‘Polarizing’ Chancellor at U. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Quits After Hit-and-Run Incident

Linda Bunnell, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, has resigned following a hit-and-run incident that occurred after she had bought three alcoholic drinks, the Associated Press reported.

In mid-February, Ms. Bunnell hit a parked car with her state-owned vehicle, then drove off. She later acknowledged that she had purchased a cocktail and two glasses of wine at a club in Madison, Wis., before the accident, but “she had time to drink only one of the three and was not tipsy at the time of the crash,” according to local news reports.

The hit-and-run appeared to be just one of many problems Ms. Bunnell faced. In a recent review of her tenure at Stevens Point, the Associated Press said that she had become a “polarizing leader” on the campus who alienated donors. The university had hired a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice to mediate disputes between Ms. Bunnell and the university foundation.

Ms. Bunnell countered that she was a victim of sexism and unfair perceptions, and that her swift decision making clashed with complacent people at the university.

Ms. Bunnell, who had been an executive for the College Board and a chancellor of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs before moving to Stevens Point, said that she would return to Denver to work in academic consulting.