Chancellor's Office
Chancellor's Communiqués
December 6, 2006
To: All UW Colleges and UW-Extension Colleagues
Fr: Chancellor David Wilson
In this Message:
Colleagues:
Where has the year gone? It's hard for me to believe that I have been a citizen of our wonderful state for eight months now. As I continue to travel across the state to meet with faculty and staff at our County Extension Offices and on the UW Colleges campuses, I can't help but marvel how the contributions of both institutions seem to be some of the state's best kept secrets. I implore all of you to continue to be the fantastic ambassadors for the work we do. It is, indeed, impressive work! We need to continuously spread the word about that important work to everyone with whom we come into contact. Our institutions do an exemplary job providing the state's citizens access to the best education and cutting-edge research.
Leadership Changes
- Dean and Director of Cooperative Extension Arlen Leholm has accepted the position of Executive Director for the North Central Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, effective February 1, 2007. I have begun the process of consulting with our numerous stakeholders regarding the naming of an Interim Dean and Director. I will seek input from our program leaders, state specialists, district directors, Wisconsin Associated County Extension Committees (WACEC) leadership, Cooperative Extension Administrative Committee, and others. It is my intent to appoint an Interim Dean well in advance of Arlen's departure, in order to ensure a smooth transition.
- UW Colleges Provost and former Interim Chancellor Margaret Cleek has announced her retirement, effective July 5, 2007, after 29 years of service. Margaret began her career as an assistant professor of psychology at UW-Washington County in 1978.
- Search and Screen Committee members are being selected for the various positions that will be vacated through retirements or job advancement.
Chancellor's Travels in Wisconsin
With 20,000 miles added to my odometer, I have had the privilege of visiting 12 UW Colleges campuses and 29 county UW-Extension offices. I also met 30 local and state legislators for the first time, had fruitful discussions with editorial boards across the state, and gathered feedback from 15 external focus groups and 13 internal listening sessions with employees on what we are doing well, and what we might examine more closely, as we move toward a shared vision for the UW Colleges and the UW-Extension in February 2007.
To see some of the places and people I have visited, go to the Chancellor's Web site, "Engaging Wisconsin."
Upcoming Events
- December 8: Commission's Town Meetings. Before submitting a final report and recommendations to Chancellor Wilson, the Commission to Enhance the Mission of the UW Colleges wants to hear what faculty, staff and students think about the future of the UW Colleges. To that end, on Friday, December 8th, the Commission will hold two Colleges-wide compressed video Town Meetings from noon to 1:30 p.m. for students, and from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. for faculty and staff. Please check with your campus for the room number. If you are based in Madison, come to the Pyle Center. Contact greg.lampe@uwc.edu for the questions to be asked by the Commission.
- December 14: the Chancellor's Holiday Reception will be held from 3:00 - 5:30 p.m. at the Pyle Center in Madison. Please consider joining us even if you do not work in Madison. Our Instructional Communications System (ICS) and Pyle Center staff will be collecting donations for the Second Harvest Food Bank and Toys for Tots. For more information on what food items are needed, see: http://www.secondharvestmadison.org
- End of December: Final Reports. The final reports and recommendations from the Commission to Enhance the UW Colleges, the 15 external focus groups and the 13 internal listening sessions will be on the Chancellor's Web site, by the end of December. An announcement will go to all employees when each report is posted
- January 8 and 11: Chancellor's Town Hall Meetings. As part of the shared vision process, I will meet with senior administrators, governance leaders and Boards of Visitors from the UW-Colleges and UW-Extension to receive feedback on final recommendations for a shared vision.
- February 7: "Shared Vision for the UW Colleges and UW-Extension." Mark the date on your calendar from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. to attend our shared vision presentation in person in Madison or via streaming video. For months, employees, students, external clients and stakeholders have been sharing their views about UW-Extension, UW Colleges, and possible future directions with me. I will cull all of the information I have gathered around several major themes, and present those themes to you on the aforementioned date.
Finally, I wish to extend to everyone a joyous holiday season. I hope you will find time to relax, connect with family, friends or significant others and embrace the coming new year with a spirit of continued collaboration and cooperation. My sincere best wishes to all of you.
Your colleague,
David Wilson
Chancellor, UW Colleges and UW-Extension