Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

Last month, the UW System announced its proposal to reorganize the UW Colleges and UW-Extension, effective July 1, 2018. Under the plan, UWM would receive UW-Waukesha and UW-Washington County. The Board of Regents will vote on the proposal on Nov. 9. If the Regents approve the proposed merger, we will make visits to the two-year campuses and begin planning for the transition. We will engage with faculty, staff, students, governance groups and others throughout the process.

There are many unknowns at this point, including our future state for academic programs and offerings, how to support student success academically and financially, the size and composition of our faculty and staff, how to preserve and strengthen UWM’s unique metropolitan access and R1 research university status, tenure and tenure track processes, governance group structure, and administrative and operational support structure. We will also need to examine overall financial issues including facilities, branding and identity of campuses, community relations, and others including planning processes and timelines.

Please see the UW System’s FAQs about the proposed restructuring for additional information. You can also sign up for notifications when updates are posted to the UWS restructuring website. Please note we understand the formal proposal document the Board will review is not yet available.   

If passed, the reorganization will be a significant endeavor. Throughout the process, UWM will remain committed to our guiding values and operations to help us ensure success at all three campuses. These include participative decision-making, engaging governance groups, valuing all colleagues, developing relationships to build trust, being mindful of our financial status, open communication, and steadfast focus on student, research, and employee outcomes. I am committed to making this work effectively.  

The UW Regents’ s vote next week will determine our future actions. If the proposal is approved, we will begin planning immediately. I will share more information as developments occur and look forward to engaging with all of you throughout this process. 

Best regards,

Mark A. Mone
Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee