Chancellor's Office
Chancellor's Communiqués
March 20, 2007
To: All UW Colleges and UW-Extension Colleagues
Fr: Chancellor David Wilson
In this Message:
- BOARD OF REGENTS MEETINGS, MARCH 8-9
- GOING FORWARD: UWC/UWEX INSTITUTIONAL GOALS
- EMERGING STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
- PERSONNEL CHANGES
- UPCOMING EVENTS
- AWARDS
- LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Colleagues:
Dear Colleagues,
Spring is in the air and I am eagerly awaiting it, as I am sure most of you are. My first Wisconsin winter has been quite exciting. My son and I played in much too much snow, and threw far too many snowballs at each other. Somehow his always landed on target (me), and mine always went astray. I had the opportunity to experience the beautiful north woods of Vilas, Florence and Forest counties where my Extension colleagues, mainly Bill and Joan Ploetz and John Preissing, took me on one of the coolest snowmobile rides imaginable. Upon coming to Wisconsin, I vowed never to be seen on a frozen lake in winter, but my sneaky colleagues hoodwinked me, and before I knew what was happening, they had me in the middle of a lake on a snowmobile. Now what does that do to promote trust? Oh well, Spring forward!
In this issue of the Communiqué, I want to update you on several matters. These include:
- the March Board of Regents meeting held at the impressively beautiful UW-Parkside campus recently,
- a draft of our institutional goals,
- some thoughts on the emerging strategic planning process,
- recent personnel announcements,
- upcoming events,
- awards, and
- a legislative update.
BOARD OF REGENTS MEETINGS, MARCH 8-9
The March Board of Regents meeting was held March 8-9 at UW-Parkside. On Thursday morning, I gave a presentation before the entire Board on the report of the Commission on Enhancing the Mission of the UW Colleges. Because I was allotted only 30 minutes for this presentation, I could not cover all 20 recommendations included in the Commission's report. I focused my presentation on "key" recommendations, such as those that would ease access for traditional-aged, place-bound and returning adult students; enhance opportunities for residents where they live; explore whether the UW Colleges should consider providing more residence halls in campus communities; and explore restructuring the tuition in the UW Colleges to maintain access. As you may recall, the Commission encouraged using the university center model where it makes sense, and suggested the UW Colleges be allowed to grant some baccalaureate degrees where students are not well-served by other opportunities. Commission members also suggested possible revision of the tuition and funding structure of the UW Colleges.
We are exploring all of the above recommendations, including whether the UW Colleges should provide more opportunities in northern Wisconsin. You can view the PowerPoint I presented at the Board of Regents at http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2007/03-2007/colleges.pdf
Waukesha Update: Also on Thursday, the Board of Regents Education Committee received the report that UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos Santiago and I issued to President Reilly on the estimated costs of expanding educational programming and research-based business opportunities in Waukesha County. The report examined three potential structures: merging UW-Waukesha into UW-Milwaukee; creating a new, stand-alone four-year campus; and creating a regional university center at UW-Waukesha – which, we concluded, would be the most cost-effective option.
In the coming months, the university will determine how else it can meet Waukesha County's needs by cooperating with Waukesha businesses to conduct a formal assessment of workforce educational needs. This was also suggested in a letter to the Board from state Reps. Rich Zipperer and Stephen Nass. I will be meeting this Friday with UW-Waukesha Campus Dean/CEO Patrick Schmitt, UW Platteville Chancellor David Markee, Jessica Tormey from the UW System Office of External Relations, and Carla Rutley from the Waukesha Community Action Network (WCAN) to discuss how this assessment will take place. I will keep you posted on these developments.
Chippewa Valley Technical College Resolution: On Friday, the Board of Regents passed a resolution that will allow the Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) to offer a liberal arts associate degree program, beginning Fall 2007. The associate degree will be offered collaboratively between CVTC and four UW System institutions. Two-thirds of the coursework will be available at CVTC locations, and students will be able to choose their remaining one-third required UW courses from UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout, UW-River Falls, or through UW Colleges Online.
GOING FORWARD: UWC/UWEX INSTITUTIONAL GOALS
I want to share with you again, our vision for the UW Colleges and UW-Extension, as well as draft institutional goals created from the visioning process. These are the overarching goals that should guide future unit strategic plans.
Vision
We will maximize access to the University of Wisconsin's knowledge, information, expertise, services and resources for the citizens of the state.
Institutional Goals
The following themes and goals flow from the vision of maximum access. They were articulated by the many voices heard across the state through the various venues such as the internal and external focus groups, the Commission on Enhancing the Mission of the UW Colleges, and other conversations with our constituencies. These themes and goals, which have been reviewed by senior colleagues, will focus our efforts as we embrace our vision. They provide a framework for linking the planning processes across the various operational and programming units of the UW Colleges and UW-Extension.
Theme 1: Commitment to (I)nnovation
Goals:
- Develop and implement innovative instructional delivery strategies to meet the increasingly wider array of professional and workforce development needs in Wisconsin.
- Foster the development, articulation and implementation of cutting-edge, research-based strategies focused on addressing critical needs.
- Seek out and utilize new and emerging technologies to meet the information, knowledge and learning needs of our citizens.
- Explore and implement innovative collaborative partnerships.
Theme 2: Commitment to (D)iversity
Goals:
- Develop and utilize a greater array of responses to the needs of the increasingly diverse audiences and communities across the state.
- Create a diverse and inclusive administration, faculty, staff, clientele, constituents and student body.
Theme 3: Commitment to (E)xcellence
Goals:
- Promote the program outcomes and impacts measurement as a measure of the value we contribute to the state of Wisconsin.
- Promote on-going assessment of the value students and learners place on their experience with us.
- Recruit, retain and develop outstanding administrators, faculty and staff.
- Maintain the highest level of accreditation.
Theme 4: Commitment to fostering (A)chievement
Goals:
- Promote, nurture and support entrepreneurship.
- Build capacity at the community and state level to address critical needs.
- Promote economic development at the local, regional, and state levels.
- Build the capacity of individuals, families, agencies, and communities to address critical needs.
- Provide broader access to information, knowledge and education for adults, the place-bound, and those who are economically or otherwise disadvantaged.
- Foster a climate that promotes higher aspirations across the entire population of the state.
Theme 5: Commitment to effective (S)tewardship
Goals:
- Promote the productive use of our resources to meet the broad array of needs of the citizens of the state.
- Invest in our human resources to realize the full potential of their abilities.
- Leverage our resources through the expansion of collaborative partnerships.
- Seek out and implement administrative and operational efficiencies on a continuous basis.
- Maintain the flexibility and agility to be responsive to needs as they emerge.
EMERGING STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
I promised in last month's Chancellor's Communiqué that I would identify the point person within the senior administration who will have responsibility for coordinating strategic planning. That person is Vice Chancellor and UW-Extension Provost Marv Van Kekerix. Next, I will appoint a steering committee with adequate representation from both institutions that will design the strategic planning process. The steering committee will work closely with Marv to advance the planning process. I anticipate that the major work on the strategic plan should take place between now and March 2008. (I am sending a separate memorandum later this week to discuss more details about our strategic planning process.)
PERSONNEL CHANGES
I am pleased to announce the appointment of David Schejbal as the next Dean of Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning, beginning July 1, 2007. Schejbal replaces former Interim Dean Leon Zaborowski, who retired January 5, 2007. Schejbal will be responsible for planning and coordinating outreach and professional development programming offered on UW System's 26 campuses. More than 230,000 people enrolled in more than 5,600 outreach and continuing education programs offered through UW-Extension on the UW campuses last year.
As part of his duties as Dean of Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning, Schejbal will oversee units focused on the development and use of learning technology, instructional design and development, faculty development, marketing, IT and learner services in support of the 26 UW campuses' online degree and certificate programs.
David Schejbal currently serves as Associate Vice Chancellor and Director of Continuing Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Iowa State University and a master's degree and Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Connecticut.
See the new UWC/UWEX organization chart.
UPCOMING EVENTS
WISCAPE Presentation "Creating a Shared Vision: The Future of the UW Colleges and UW–Extension" – March 20. I will give the keynote speech followed by a panel discussion with Commission members at the Pyle Center in Madison from noon – 2:30 p.m. The event is open to the public and will also be taped and available at my website under "Reports and Speeches" the day after the event, March 21.
Southwest Wisconsin "Building Economic Strength Together" – March 20 at UW-Richland. For additional information, go to www.richland.uwc.edu and click on "Economic Development."
UW Colleges and UW-Extension Status of Women Committee, UW System Women's Studies Consortium, and UW System Women and Science Program Statewide Free Interactive Video Conference on "Class Matters: Breaking Down Class Barriers in the Workplace and the Classroom" – April 16. For site locations, see http://www.uwex.edu/women
Posters in the Rotunda – April 18. Forty-two UW Colleges students, 20 posters, and eight UW Colleges campuses will be represented in this year's Posters in the Rotunda. Information regarding students, faculty members, and campuses involved will be posted at www.wisconsin.edu/posters later this month.
8th Annual UW System Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Symposium – April 20. Fifteen UW Colleges students from five campuses have had presentations or posters accepted for the 8th Annual UW System Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Symposium at UW-Stout on April 20, 2007. Students and their faculty mentors are: Keely Sanderson (Barron, Renee Gralewicz, Anthropology/Sociology); Joe Vande Slunt (Fond du Lac, Richard Gustin, Communication and Theatre Arts); Gregory Kokke, Nathan Edeler, and Emily Ricks (Fox Valley, Martin Rudd, Chemistry); Lindsay Lorenz and Jacob DeMelle (Manitowoc, Richard Hein, Biological Sciences); Jim Lee, Cheng Lee and Xue Lee (Marathon County, Eric Giordano, Political Science); Amanda Hoffman, Samantha Robinson, Jillian Kasdorf, Timothy Olson and Louise Ebben (Fox Valley, James Brey, Geography/Geology and Kristin Runge, Communication and Theatre Arts).
AWARDS
I am delighted to announce that Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) has won the National USC Annenberg Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism for the third election cycle in a row. This award recognizes the full body of campaign and election-related work WPT produced during the 2006 election cycle including, but not limited to: "Marriage Amendment on Trial"; numerous interviews, commentaries and reports aired on "Here and Now"; 16 in-depth reports that aired on "In Wisconsin" in the 10 weeks leading up to the November election; Wisconsin Vote web site; candidate statements; and two "We the People" gubernatorial debates.
This award covers such a large quantity of work made possible, in one way or another, by virtually everyone at WPT. Sincere congratulations!
UW Colleges 2007 Chancellor's Performance Plus Award Winners
Hats off and congratulations to Bonita Eiring and Mark Robson at UW-Washington County, and Dan Bollweg at UW-Rock County for being recipients of this year's Chancellor's Performance Plus Award winners in their functional areas.
A New UWC/UWEX Joint Awards Banquet
In the past, the UW Colleges has had its traditions of Colloquium in May, and Convocation in August, at the start of the new school year. UW-Extension faculty and staff have been and will continue to be invited to be presenters and/or participants in those programs. In the same vein, UW-Extension has had its awards banquet tradition. Given the feedback flowing from both the Administrative Integration Steering Committee and from governance groups, we know there is a tremendous desire on the part of employees from both institutions to learn more about and appreciate each other's work. With that in mind, a small group of individuals across both institutions was given the charge to "plan and implement the first joint UW-Extension and UW Colleges awards banquet." The group's initial report recommends creation of a Chancellor's Awards program that embraces both the UW Colleges and UW-Extension to celebrate the achievements of faculty, academic staff, classified staff, and partners. This provides an excellent opportunity to initiate a new and meaningful cross-institutional tradition by enhancing an existing one.
More details will become available soon.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
I continue to meet members of the Joint Finance Committee and, in the coming month, plan to meet with legislative leadership as well as members of the joint higher education committees regarding our Adult Student budget initiative. I take the opportunity to inform them about our maximum access vision and the great things you do every day at the UW Colleges and UW-Extension.
Thanks to all of you for your dedication to advance the missions of the UW Colleges and UW-Extension.
Kind regards,
David Wilson
Chancellor, UW Colleges and UW-Extension