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Chancellor David Wilson

Chancellor's Office

Chancellor's Communiqué

February 13, 2007

To: All UW Colleges and UW-Extension Colleagues
Fr: Chancellor David Wilson

In this Message:

  1. Strategic Planning
  2. Where is all this Going?
  3. Board of Regents Meeting
  4. (New) UW Admissions Policy
  5. WEN New Initiative: Request for Proposals for Wisconsin Idea-Link
  6. UW Colleges and UW-Extension Service-Learning Partnership formed in Marathon County
  7. Events/Meetings
  8. Legislative Update

Dear Colleagues:

I want to thank all of you who attended or watched via streaming video the "Shared Vision" presentation on February 7th at the Pyle Center. I have received many positive comments, and I am pleased to learn that so many of you thought the presentation captured the essence of what our institutions are all about. It is now time, however, to begin conversations about strategic planning based on our shared vision to become the maximum access institutions in the UW System, and to provide greater access to UW courses, undergraduate degrees, knowledge and university research in order to help Wisconsin's people prepare for good-paying jobs and healthy, secure lives.

Let me first update you on a number of matters and give you a sense of our next step(s) as we move into strategic planning.

For those of you who heard my presentation or read the manuscript of my remarks, you know that the vision of maximum access is quite broad. This is by design. A vision is not meant to be a strategic plan; it is meant to set the overall tone and direction that our institutions should embrace.

The written text of my speech, "Maximum Access: Building on Excellence," can be found on the Chancellor's homepage. After clicking on "Reports and Speeches," scroll down to "Speeches," and you will see the link. Alternately, the presentation has been archived and can be viewed via streaming video at http://www.uwex.edu/ics/stream/uwex-uwc/chancellor/access/ .

Strategic Planning

The next step is to commence our strategic planning process, which will result in strategic directions for the UW Colleges and the four divisions of UW-Extension. I know that two UW-Extension units, Cooperative Extension and Broadcasting & Media Innovation, are already thinking about their strategic plans, and I look forward to hearing more about these processes as they unfold.

As I indicated to you some time ago, Dennis Jones, president of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS), will be with us on February 21st to talk about NCHEMS' expertise in the area of strategic planning and how we might draw from this expertise. Following Dennis's presentation, we will decide whether to engage him as a resource.

Meanwhile, when I make announcements in the coming two weeks as to who will serve in the senior leadership roles within our institutions, I will identify the person within the senior administration who will have responsibility for coordinating strategic planning. It is my desire to have completed unit strategic plans within the next year. I do realize that some units might take longer than others to complete their plans, while other units will take less time.

As the strategic planning process gets underway, there are some things that must move forward simultaneously. In that connection, I am appointing a number of committees to explore further some of the ideas emanating from the shared vision. First, I am appointing a Northern Wisconsin Higher Education Initiative Committee. This committee will be co-chaired by Provost Margaret Cleek and Dean/CEO Jim Veninga. Its purpose will be to:

  1. Explore whether there is a need in northern Wisconsin for more access to higher education, and
  2. If there is a need, how should the UW Colleges respond to this need?

Second, a Task Force on Degree Programs and Delivery Mechanisms will look at possible baccalaureate degree programming by the Colleges, expanding the associate degree, and investigating alternative course deliveries such as shorter-format courses. The task force will work with faculty, deans, governance groups, etc., to revise course structures and schedules, making it easier for busy adults to access our curriculum.

Third, the Commission on Enhancing the Mission of the UW Colleges recommended that we explore whether our campuses should build more residential facilities. In that vein, I will appoint Vice Chancellor Steve Wildeck and Interim Vice Chancellor Sue Schymanski to examine the pros and cons of our moving in that direction.

Fourth, as you know, Provosts Margaret Cleek and Marv Van Kekerix have been working already on possible academic collaborations between the UW Colleges and UW-Extension. I am also asking them to explore what relationships should exist between the 13 campuses and the local Extension offices where these campuses are located. Also, what relationship, beyond that which currently exists, should there be between the UW Colleges, the Small Business Development Centers and Continuing Education, Outreach and E-learning? I will also ask Interim Dean of Cooperative Extension Rick Klemme, as well as Dean/CEO David Nixon of UW-Washington County, Dean/CEO Paul Chase of UW-Barron County, and Dean/CEO Dan Blankenship of UW-Fond du Lac to be members of this group, together with Interim Director Deb Malewicki, Business and Manufacturing Extension; Mary Grant, Continuing Education, Outreach and E-learning; and Tim Urbonya, UW Colleges Continuing Education.

Where is all this Going?

I will begin a discussion next week with UW System President Kevin Reilly about my making a presentation on a blueprint for enhancing the UW Colleges and UW-Extension to the Board of Regents in the next few months – after most of the reports above have been completed. I envisage this to be a detailed presentation, replete with a number of strategic directions/initiatives that, at a minimum, would clarify our strategic goals. Flowing from the shared vision, I would expect to make specific proposals regarding:

  1. Enrollments within the UW Colleges (What are we projecting and how are we planning to get there?)
  2. Tuition, affordability and access (How can we keep access to the UW Colleges affordable for Wisconsin families with limited resources? How can we make tuition within the UW Colleges competitive with that of the technical colleges?)
  3. B.S. degree authority (Will we seek authority as a UW Colleges institution? If so, what are the implications for enrollment and mission?)
  4. "Transportability" of the associate degree in liberal arts to the technical colleges' campuses and other community centers around the state
  5. Residence Halls (Should we plan for more?)
  6. Closer nexus with the UW-Madison campus (How can we bring a UW-Madison degree to all of our campuses?)
  7. Entrepreneurship and economic development (How we will support entrepreneurship and economic development in the state?)
  8. The relationship between the UW Colleges and local Cooperative Extension offices (For example, will we share more space?)
  9. What role will Continuing Education play in serving the maximum access needs of the state?

These are some of the proposals that I would address in the blueprint presentation to the Board of Regents. I see such a presentation as a wonderful opportunity for our institutions to demonstrate nimbleness, and to show how innovative we are going to be in the pursuit of our maximum access vision.

Please note that I expect all strategic planning processes to be open, inclusive and transparent. Everyone at every level should have the opportunity to express their views on the units' strategic directions.

The strategic plan must be a product of many different voices – just like our shared vision.

Board of Regents Meeting

The UW Board of Regents met on Thursday and Friday (Feb. 8-9) in Madison. There were two agenda items that affected us: The UW System Criteria for Approval of Wisconsin Technical College System Transfer Programs, and a discussion of the Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) proposal.

  1. Wisconsin Technical College System Discussion

After much consideration, the Board voted to adopt the Criteria for Approval of Wisconsin Technical College System Transfer Programs. However, the Board did not take action on the CVTC proposal to offer a two-year associate degree in liberal arts. I informed the Board that the UW Colleges had exercised its right under the Board's newly adopted criteria to respond to the need expressed by Chippewa for more liberal arts courses and a liberal arts degree on its campus. My understanding is that between now and the next Board of Regents meeting, March 8-9, the UW System administration will conduct an analysis of both the UW Colleges proposal and the CVTC proposal, and will recommend to UW System President Kevin Reilly what he should endorse to the Board of Regents at its March meeting. I will keep you fully apprised of these developments.

I want to extend my thanks to Keith Summers, a member of the UW Colleges Board of Visitors, for attending the Board meeting and making remarks on behalf of the Board of Visitors. Keith made several important points, which were consistent with my vision of the way forward. Among those were the following:

  1. That we support collaborative efforts between the technical colleges and the UW Colleges already in place in a number of areas across the state.
  2. That we support avoiding duplication in offerings between the technical colleges and UW Colleges in the same area.
  3. That we support the idea that the closest UW College, or four-year UW, be offered the first opportunity to serve the need before authorizing a technical college to confer a two-year liberal arts degree.
  4. That the Colleges are a success created by the cities and counties we live in and the UW System. Since 1959, cities and counties have contributed the "bricks and mortar" in a collaborative effort with the UW System to deliver liberal arts education throughout the state, and
  5. That what we are urging is careful consideration of how degrees are granted between technical colleges and UW Colleges. What is at risk is a costly duplication of services that does not serve the taxpayer well.

(New) UW Admissions Policy

As some of you know, the Board of Regents has been discussing a revision of the admissions policy within the UW System for several months now. The focus of the revision was on creating a holistic review of applications from students applying to a UW campus. I have been watching these discussions unfold during the entire period, and was pleased at the passage last week of a new freshman admissions policy by the Board of Regents. The passage was unanimous, 16-0. This "new policy" is, in reality, nothing new for the UW. President Kevin Reilly, Regent Mark Bradley, Regent President David Walsh and many other speakers informed us that the UW has been holistically reviewing applications for at least 35 years. Also, within the UW Colleges, we have always looked at the whole person in reviewing our applications. In reality, there will be no change in the way we review and admit students. President Reilly disabused everyone of the notion that the policy would admit unqualified applicants to the UW. "It makes no sense for us to admit students that are likely to fail," President Reilly told Board members. He went on to state that academics would carry the most weight, but non-academic factors would also be considered, such as "student experiences, leadership qualities, motivation, special talents, status as a non-traditional or returning adult, veteran, and whether the applicant is socio-economically disadvantaged or in a historically underrepresented racial or ethnic group."

UW Colleges and UW-Extension Service-Learning Partnership formed in Marathon County

Recently, representatives from UW-Marathon County and UW-Extension Marathon County developed a pilot collaboration in service-learning and community-based research between the two institutions. Dean Jim Veninga, Lisa Seale, and Patti Thwaits of UW-Marathon County; Mike Wildeck and Jean Berger of UW-Extension Marathon County; Associate Vice Chancellor Greg Lampe, Amy Hilgendorf, and AmeriCorps*VISTA members Chris Natynski and Lauren Hauser of the UW Colleges and UW-Extension administration signed a partnership agreement in late January outlining the objectives and activities for the pilot project.

The purpose of this pilot project is to explore how UW Colleges campuses and UW-Extension can best work together in service-learning and community-based learning collaborations and to develop a supportive base for future partnerships throughout Wisconsin.

Events/Meetings
  • February 14: Academic Staff Council/University Committee joint meeting (Pyle)
  • February 14: UWC/UWEX Joint Deans meeting at UW-Baraboo/Sauk County
  • February 15-16: Continuing Education Extension Council meeting (Pyle)
  • February 16: Provosts/Vice Chancellors meeting (Van Hise)
  • March 20: WISCAPE Presentation (Pyle): I will present the keynote address, "A Strategy for Organizational Change: Listen, Learn, Lead, and Listen Some More," followed by a panel discussion, "Enhancing the Mission of the UW Colleges," with State Representative Suzanne Jeskewitz; Mark O'Connell, executive director of the Wisconsin Counties Association; John Torinus, CEO, Serigraph, Inc.; and James Veninga, Dean/CEO, UW-Marathon County. All panel members were part of the Commission to Enhance the Mission of the UW Colleges, with John Torinus as co-chair.

My remarks will highlight the process that created our new, shared vision, its major themes, and the strategic planning process following its unveiling. Commission members will offer an insider's view of the Commission's work and discuss the Commission's key recommendations.

Legislative Update

Finally, a word or two about our legislative lobbying efforts: Jennifer Garner and I are spending quite a bit of time these days at the Capitol. We have met with the majority of members on the Joint Finance Committee (JFC). After our JFC visits conclude, we will proceed to meet with leadership and key committee chairs and members. We are finding legislators quite receptive to our message of why the state should invest in the UW Growth Agenda and, in particular, why it should invest in the Adult Student Initiative. We are hopeful that the governor will include funding for the Adult Student Initiative in his budget address this week. Our request is for $800,000 in the first year of the biennium, and $1.9 million in the second year. This funding will enable the UW Colleges and UW-Extension to serve as the lead UW System institutions in bringing more adults into our classrooms and laboratories.

Again, I thank all of you for the work you do each day to advance the missions of the UW Colleges and UW-Extension. You are, as I remarked during the shared vision, the unsung heroes of the UW System.

Kind regards,

David Wilson
Chancellor, UW Colleges and UW-Extension

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