Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,
Every year summer seems to fly by more quickly, and here we are ramping up for the fall term. Next week our three campuses will be buzzing with activity. This fall is extra special as we welcome new colleagues from Waukesha and Washington County into the new UWM College of General Studies. Please join me in extending a warm greeting to all our new faculty and staff.
UWM is a university on the rise. This is due to your contributions to our vibrant mix of teaching, learning, access, research, partnerships, community engagement, and all the behind-the-scenes work that makes us thrive. Your passion to enrich lives and open possibilities for our students is apparent – and it impacts why our students chose UWM. I thank you, and, I ask that you thank our students for choosing to be part of this great university.
I hope you will join me for a myriad of events that celebrate our students and diverse campuses, including:
- Fall Welcome, which offers an enormous array of activities beginning next week with students moving into residence halls (I’ll be at Sandburg on Wednesday with my giant roll of stretch wrap!) and surrounding neighborhoods. Fall Welcome culminates with Panther Street Festival and Pantherfest on Sept. 7, with even more students joining us from our branch campuses in Waukesha and Washington County.
- Activities that encourage civil discourse and freedom of expression with the Aug. 31st Common Read of Roxane Gay’s 2018 Smithsonian article, “Fifty Years Ago, Protesters Took On the Miss America Pageant and Electrified the Feminist Movement.” On Nov. 12, the student group the Young Republicans are hosting Ben Shapiro and the ACLU will host a social justice forum.
- My Fall Plenary Address will be Thursday, Sept. 20 at 2:30 p.m. in the Student Union, Wisconsin Room. The plenary will be livestreamed for those viewing from other locations.
- As part of our efforts to build a more inclusive climate for female faculty members, we are offering Male Allies and Advocates workshops on Sept. 27 and 28.
- The Panther Prowl 5K Run/Walk on Oct. 13 will raise funds for student scholarships.
- Please look for the continuation of our 2018 focus on UWM’s Guiding Values, which are foundational and embody our faculty, staff and students.
This academic year we will become a smoke-free campus. I approved a no-smoking policy this past June that was the result of long-term efforts by our Student Association and UWM’s Physical Environment Committee, with the support of our governance groups. We are committed to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our employees and students.
Throughout last year and this summer, both on campus and off, I talked often about our strategic objectives and emerging partnerships and how they are both guiding us and boosting our momentum. I gave presentations to Rotary Clubs and county boards as well as business, civic and community organizations about how the addition of our branch campuses will increase access and opportunities to students in the region.
And, you may recall that in late June, we announced our unprecedented partnership with Northwestern Mutual and Marquette University to form the $40 million NM Data Sciences Institute.
Our communities, alumni and donors have been highly supportive of the directions we are heading which include bold thinking, creation of new revenue streams, new structures and new ways of operating. This is evident when we look at our progress with our capital campaign. Last fall, we held the public launch of the “Made in Milwaukee. Shaping the World” campaign with a goal to raise $200 million in support of our three strategic drivers: Student Success, Research Excellence and Community Engagement. I am beyond delighted to share that we have surpassed our goal and are continuing to advance our efforts to attain even more support for UWM.
I’ve said before that our people are our greatest asset and I am grateful that you are part of our campus community. Together, we are entering the fall term with upward momentum. There are positive budget directions, emerging partnerships and strength in support from our alumni, partners, friends, UW System and the Board of Regents. This forward progress is the hallmark of your intensive work. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together in the year ahead.
Best regards,
Mark A. Mone
Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee