Dear Colleagues,
Today, I share with you the difficult news that the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents voted to approve the program discontinuation of UWM’s College of General Studies (CGS) and its three academic departments: Arts & Humanities, Math & Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences & Business.
I made this hard but necessary program discontinuance recommendation to President Jay Rothman and the Board, based on significant and sustained enrollment declines that substantially affected the programs’ cost-effectiveness. CGS will close at the end of this academic year.
UWM’s Department of Human Resources will begin issuing layoff notices to 32 affected CGS faculty members starting Monday.
I value the dedication and hard work of our CGS faculty and staff, and it is with a heavy heart that we undertake this next step. This decision in no way reflects the significant contributions you have made to your students and the academic community.
I encourage CGS employees to use UWM’s Employee Assistance Program through Acentra Health. The program is free, confidential, and available 24/7 to all UWM employees and their families. Contact Acentra Health at 833-539-7285 or online at sowi.mylifeexpert.com (UWM password: SOWI).
In addition to faculty layoff rights under state statute, we will continue to work to find employment opportunities for affected employees, including through the UWM Priority Referral Program. We are also offering opportunities and resources, including but not limited to career planning, resume review and interview assistance. Specific updates will continue to be shared via the “Updates on the CGS Closure” biweekly email.
Thank you for your continued commitment to our university during this challenging time. We are dedicated to supporting all of you through this transition. Please refer to the CGS webpage for all updated information, including frequently asked questions, upcoming meeting dates and posts of previous emails. For questions, please reach out to your Human Resources Business Partner.
We will have more information to follow over the next few weeks.
Best regards,
Mark A. Mone, PhD
Chancellor