The University of Wisconsin Colleges announced today who the four new regional executive officers/deans for the University of Wisconsin Colleges will be as the colleges move forward with a plan to adapt to massive budget cuts.
Under the new model, the 13 UW Colleges campuses will be grouped into four regions, with a single executive officer/dean for each region. One associate dean will be located on each campus and will oversee day-to-day operational needs.
The following leaders were selected for each region:
• Southeast Region: Jackie Joseph-Silverstein (currently CEO/dean at UW-Sheboygan)
• Southwest Region: Charles Clark (currently CEO/dean at UW-Manitowoc)
• Northeast Region: Martin Rudd (currently CEO/dean at UW-Fox Valley)
• North Region: Keith Montgomery (currently CEO/ dean at UW-Marathon County and interim CEO/dean at UW-Marshfield/Wood County)
Harry Muir, current campus executive officer and dean of the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha campus, will lead a UW Colleges initiative to expand the traditional and nontraditional student base and grow business partnerships in urban Southeastern Wisconsin.
Muir’s new title will be senior special assistant to the chancellor for Southeast Wisconsin initiatives. Muir has served as campus executive officer and dean of UW-Waukesha since 2011. His new position is a two-year appointment beginning Jan. 1, 2016.
“I am confident these individuals are well-prepared for their new roles and will work diligently to position the UW Colleges for the future to fulfill our important mission of access, student success and transfer,” Cathy Sandeen, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Extension/UW Colleges, said in a letter to teachers and staff.
“At the same time, I also have deep compassion and regret for the disruptive impact of these decisions on our colleagues until we settle into our new structure,” Sandeen wrote. “If we could have avoided this, we would have done so, but the budget imposed on us left limited options.”
The campus executive officer and dean position will be phased out between now and the end of December. Following a transition period, all former deans will have the option of accepting faculty positions within the UW Colleges, Sandeen said.
Now that the regional executive officers/deans have been named, the UW Colleges will seek their input to identify associate deans/campus administrators within each region.
“Again, this decision marks the beginning of a number of fundamental changes within the UW Colleges,” Sandeen said.
