UWM Chancellor Thomas Gibson has been on the job for two months, and in that short period has gotten a good look at what the university is and where it is going. He laid out his vision during his first plenary address to a full house Tuesday in the Wisconsin Room of the UWM Student Union.
Gibson, who became UWM’s 10th chancellor in July, said that he has spent his initial days on a “journey of discovery,” learning about UWM’s students, employees, partners, culture and impact.
He has liked what he’s found and looks forward to learning more. He invited the UWM community to take a fresh look along with him at the university’s accomplishments. That includes last week’s news of UWM’s largest freshman class in more than a decade.
UWM is a strong research institution, Gibson said, one of just two universities in Wisconsin to achieve the highest level of research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, often called R1. Beyond that, UWM is one of just 32 universities in the nation to be recognized by Carnegie for excelling in three important areas: research, student access and community engagement.
He listed other strengths: The graduation rate is improving. UWM has been recognized as a military friendly school. The online bachelor’s degree program ranks in the top 10% in the nation. UWM athletes have been winning championships and breaking records, while also maintaining a streak of 25 years earning a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
And more: Campus boasts a sleek and efficient new Chemistry Building. UWM features Wisconsin’s only accredited school of architecture, the state’s only accredited school of public health, the only ASL/English interpreting degree program in the state and the only school of freshwater sciences in the nation.
Communication is vital
Gibson, who previously served as chancellor of UW-Stevens Point for more than four years, pledged to be a good listener. Communication, he said, is of primary importance.
“My aim is to always be as transparent as possible,” Gibson said. “That is why I find opportunities like this moment to be so important.”
He pledged to push for academic and student success in the classroom and in the community, to be an advocate for UWM’s research mission, and to strategically manage the university’s fiscal health.
Financially, UWM has had some successes, while also facing some difficult challenges, Gibson said. The most recent state budget gives UWM $233 million for capital projects, the largest allocation ever. That will fund the completion of the Health Sciences Renovation project, advance a new Engineering & Neuroscience Building and improve Lapham Hall and the Maryland Avenue bridge.
The state approved an operating budget that will help fund a pilot program for mental health support for students, efforts to recruit and retain faculty in high-demand areas, and a pay increase for UWM employees.
Challenges remain
But there are also significant challenges, including reduced federal research funding and shifts in the landscape of higher education. There will be difficult choices to make.
“Folks, our old budget models are being shattered. We cannot rely on how it was,” Gibson said. “The shifts higher education has been experiencing will be felt for many years to come, and how we fuel our mission will need to be reimagined. Our job is to ensure UWM thrives far into the future.”
The best way to accomplish that is to focus on student success, Gibson said. Increasing enrollment and student retention needs to be a priority for everyone at UWM.
A new strategic enrollment management plan is the most comprehensive approach to enrollment that UWM has ever undertaken, Gibson said. The goal: To increase student enrollment and retention for the next five years.
An important component of that is a scholarship program called Panther Pathways. Rather than focusing on a particular niche, Panther Pathways will be used strategically, with the flexibility to be deployed where it is most needed.
“Instead of creating a niche scholarship that only applies to a particular type of student, this fund can be awarded to a student at any level, from any background, for any major,” Gibson said. “Being nimble is an excellent quality for a university.”
New branding campaign launches
Gibson also introduced UWM’s new branding campaign. Called “Make New Waves,” the campaign is a way for the university to demonstrate its positive impact. In UWM’s classrooms, labs and learning spaces, there are drops of ideas that amplify and ripple to become waves. The campaign memorably and powerfully frames the university’s successes using concrete examples of students, faculty, staff and alumni making an impact in their workplaces and communities.
UWM will continue to evaluate and bolster its offerings to remain a vital part of the community, Gibson said. That includes offering new degrees, certificates and microcredentials to meet market demand. Accelerated pathways allow students to graduate quicker, and partnerships with technical colleges will ease the path for transfer students.
Student success must always remain the central focus of everyone on campus, Gibson said.
“Student success priorities drive my work as chancellor,” Gibson said. “And I believe we can accomplish even more if we keep student success as our guidepost. We must work together toward our common goals and use our collective expertise to advance our missions.”
