March 25, 2024
To College of General Studies employees,
As you know, Chancellor Mark Mone announced on March 11 that UWM would close the College of General Studies (CGS), effective June 30, 2025.
UWM is offering a Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP) for CGS tenured faculty and limited appointees with a concurrent tenured faculty position who are eligible for a partial or full retirement annuity from the State of Wisconsin. The faculty layoff process is the longest and most complicated of our employee separation processes. It will take approximately 15-17 months, so this alternative will expedite that separation while allowing those faculty to plan immediately for their futures. It also offers an additional option to eligible faculty who may be subject to layoff. Because of the cost involved, UWM cannot offer the VSIP for all affected staff and is reserving the option for those who are subject to the long layoff process.
VSIP participants may select one of two separation dates: May 19, 2024, the end of the Spring 2024 contract period, or Aug. 23, 2024, the end of the first week of the Fall 2024 contract period. Employees who are prepared to separate from UWM and/or retire at the end of the academic year can separate effective May 19, 2024. As an alternative, employees may separate effective Aug. 23, 2024, to take additional time to determine retirement or other plans.
Employees who select the Aug. 23, 2024, separation date must return to work on Aug. 19, 2024, and work Aug. 19 – Aug. 23, 2024, to remain eligible for the VSIP. UWM will provide work assignments for that week.
UWM Department of Human Resources benefits specialists will be on site April 3, 2024, at UWM at Waukesha to host a VSIP presentation and offer benefits consultation. Additionally, a representative from the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) will be on campus April 10, 2024, at UWM at Waukesha to provide a retirement presentation and answer retirement questions.
Find more information about the program and employee eligibility on the Waukesha closure webpage.