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University of Wisconsin Colleges and

University of Wisconsin-Extension 

Chancellor

Search Profile

The University of Wisconsin System (UWS) invites applications and nominations for the position of chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and University of Wisconsin-Extension. Sharing a vision to provide maximum access to all university resources for the benefit of all of Wisconsin’s residents, these two historic institutions have been led by one chancellor and one central administration since 2006. Through this search, the UWS seeks an energetic and visionary individual to further develop and strengthen the contributions and impact of the UW Colleges and UW-Extension as they move forward on their shared mission. 

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW

In September 2004, University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly proposed to the UW System Board of Regents that the central administrative operations of the UW Colleges and UW-Extension be integrated to increase administrative efficiencies and to take advantage of the institutions’ commonalities. Both institutions’ missions center on providing access to University of Wisconsin resources; have a statewide presence and reach, as well as  strong links to communities and regions; and serve residents of all ages, incomes and backgrounds.

In February 2005, the UW Board of Regents approved President Reilly’s request to appoint a single chancellor to lead both UW Colleges and UW-Extension and directed the institutions to explore other opportunities for integrating administrative functions as well. On May 1, 2006, David Wilson became the first chancellor to lead two UW System institutions simultaneously.

Currently, the following central departments/functions across UW Colleges and UW-Extension are integrated and serve the administrative needs of both institutions:

Enrollments and Educational Contacts

The following UW-Extension enrollments and educational contacts are for fiscal year (FY) 2009, July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009, unless otherwise noted.

UW-Extension

Broadcasting and Media Innovations: Wisconsin Public Radio's listeners per week numbered 467,000 and Wisconsin Public Television's viewers per week numbered 493,785.

Conference Centers: Almost 74,000 people attended classes and events at the two Extension Conference Centers.

Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning: 187,809 students enrolled in credit and noncredit continuing education courses and distance-learning programs supported by UW-Extension.

Cooperative Extension: In calendar year 2008 Cooperative Extension educators made 1,291,731 local educational contacts.

Entrepreneurship and Economic Development: Small Business Development Centers enrolled 12,792 people in training programs and served 5,043 clients through face-to-face and telephone-based counseling.

UW Colleges

In fall 2009, the UW Colleges enrolled a record-breaking 13,789 students, one-third of them age 22 or older (nontraditional students, many of whom are place bound). Seventy-three percent of  the students were full time, and almost 10% were students of color.

Seventy-four percent of students who start at a UW Colleges campus and then transfer to a four-year university in the UW System receive the baccalaureate degree within six years, a higher success rate than the average for all students in the UW System, Those who complete their freshman and sophomore years at a UW Colleges campus do even better: 82% proceed to earn a baccalaureate degree. 

The UW Colleges serves many first-generation students and many students from middle- and lower-income households and provides advising and programming designed to meet their specific needs.

Staffing and budget

UW-Extension

In FY 2009, UW-Extension annual operating expenditures were approximately $222,240,000. Major funding sources include: fees, gifts and contracts (44%); state general purpose revenue (34%); federal government (11%); and county government (9%).

In FY 2010 (July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010), UW-Extension funded 1,781 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. This number includes 661 FTE positions that support outreach and extension programs across the UW System. For more detail see pages 12-13 of 2009 annual report.

UW Colleges

In FY 2009 the UW Colleges' annual operating budget of approximately $96,230,000 was funded primarily from tuition/fees (39%); state general purpose revenue (35%); auxiliaries, gifts, grants (15%); and federal programs (10%). The facilities of each campus are provided and maintained by county funds.

In FY 2010 (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010), UW Colleges employed 958 FTE faculty and staff. For more detail see pages 10-11 of 2009 annual report.

Shared governance

UW-Extension

Shared governance in UW-Extension is organized through the Faculty Senate, University Committee and the Academic Staff Council. In addition, both faculty and academic staff serve on a Systemwide Extension Council, which represents all UW System institutions and provides additional input to the chancellor regarding major issues.

UW Colleges

Shared governance at the UW Colleges is organized through campus collegia, the UW Colleges Senate (consisting of faculty, academic staff and students), the Student Governance Council and 17 institution-wide academic departments.

Initiatives and Distinctive Dimensions

UW-Extension and UW Colleges

• Expanding access to a college degree through the University of Wisconsin eCampus. The University of Wisconsin eCampus is a Web portal showcasing UW System institutions’ online programs. The goal is to support increased access to University of Wisconsin online degrees for adults, nontraditional aged students and other students who may be place bound to a specific community or who otherwise may not have access to a college campus. 

• Enhancing effectiveness in an increasingly diverse world. The UW Colleges and UW-Extension have received two awards over the past two years for their Multicultural Awareness Program (MAP), which strengthens and enhances both institutions’ effectiveness and relevance in an increasingly diverse society.

UW-Extension

• Broadband Initiative: advance economic development. To help communities expand broadband access, UW-Extension has collaborated with WISCNET, UW System and others to form a partnership with five Wisconsin communities. With UW-Extension leadership, the partners applied for $32 million in federal grants to advance economic development through expanded broadband access.

• Sustainability: support sustainable communities. The UW-Extension Sustainability Team develops and maintains an institutional framework for understanding and promoting sustainability across all program areas and divisions. Team members were among the UW-Extension, UW Colleges and UW System partners presenting a spring 2010 Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum, the third in the series of Wisconsin Idea Forums. As a follow-up to that Sustainable Communities Forum, the partners are compiling recommendations to share with local and state policymakers.

• Bachelor of science in sustainable management. Launched in fall 2009, the new online bachelor of science in sustainable management received nearly twice as many course registrations than expected for its first semester: 166 course enrollments compared with projections of 90. The 216 course enrollments for spring 2010 were again double the original projections. UW-Extension's Division of Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning combined the strengths of four University of Wisconsin campuses—UW-Parkside, UW-River Falls, UW-Stout and UW-Superior—to craft a degree that equips workers with the skills they will need to meet the demands of green jobs.

• Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension provides educational programs by teaming up with agriculture; meeting community challenges; strengthening Wisconsin’s families; and supporting young people through six program areas:

• Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Community, Natural Resources and Economic Development
• Family Living Programs
• 4-H Youth Development
• Wisconsin Geological and  Natural History Survey
• Leadership Wisconsin

UW Colleges

• Expanding access to a college degree through the UW Colleges bachelor of applied arts and sciences. The UW Colleges is seeking authorization from the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents to offer one new bachelor’s degree program. The fundamental goal of the proposed bachelor of applied arts and sciences (BAAS) degree is to prepare place-bound individuals for a life of creative and productive work in a changing and increasingly interdependent world. To accomplish this goal, the UW Colleges BAAS degree program is divided into a liberal-arts breadth requirement and a focused-study requirement that will prepare students to apply theoretical knowledge, higher order intellectual skills and practical experience to achieve solutions to complex problems encountered in contemporary workplace and community settings.

• Maintaining affordability. UW Colleges tuition is the most affordable in the UW System. Tuition at the 13 UW Colleges campuses remained frozen for the 2009-10 academic year for the third consecutive year. The tuition for two semesters at the UW Colleges was $4,268, approximately $1,100 less than the four-year comprehensive campuses, $2,600 less than UW-Milwaukee and $3,000 less than UW-Madison. Maintaining tuition at 2006 rates meant UW Colleges continued to be the most affordable access point for anyone wanting to start, continue or complete a degree in the UW System.

• Sustaining growth. As of May 14, 2010, UW Colleges had received 7,125 applications for the 2010 fall semester, 11% ahead of the same time last year.  UW Colleges had admitted 5,250 students as of that date, 10% more than a year earlier, but about the same as in 2007 and 2008. If the application trend continues, total enrollment at UW Colleges in fall 2010 could surpass 15,000 students for the first time.

For further information about the Chancellor’s Office, please consult the website: http://www.uwex.uwc.edu/.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

UW Colleges and UW-Extension are dynamic institutions poised to move to new levels of excellence and service. Their faculty and staff share a commitment to the core values of excellent and accessible education, research, community engagement, diversity and inclusiveness.  The institutions will need to address both opportunities and challenges over the near-term future as they seek to continue and further strengthen their critical roles serving the educational needs of students, communities and the state of Wisconsin. The following particularly relate to the leadership role of the new chancellor.

The Growth Agenda.  Given their statewide presence and access mission, the UW Colleges and UW-Extension will continue to play a central role in the system-wide initiative to further develop the state’s human potential through expanded services, enrollments and degree completion throughout Wisconsin. This potential for greater impact represents both a major opportunity and challenge for the new chancellor and all members of these institutions’ communities.

Access and affordability. The “Initiatives and Distinctive Dimensions” section illustrates  how, in the face of  limited resources, UW-Extension and UW Colleges continue to broaden access and maintain affordability. The persistent recession and constraints on resources will require creative new solutions, including but not limited to the increased use of learning and distance technologies, in order to meet the twin goals of accessibility and affordability in the years ahead.

Resources.  Like most public institutions, UW Colleges and UW-Extension have experienced significant decline in the tax-supported shares of their operating budgets, and this trend is not likely to reverse in the near future.  The new chancellor must be a financial advocate for the institutions, finding ways to maintain and improve the quality of programs through strong legislative advocacy; leading energetic private fundraising; developing greater internal efficiencies and resources; and creatively marshalling campus finances.

Diversity. The two institutions take pride in the recent recognitions it has received for enhancing diversity, but the communities are equally aware of the challenges they face to successfully serve diverse students, as well as to attract and recruit more diverse faculty and staff. These challenges must and will remain high priorities for the institutions. The new chancellor will need to help find innovative ways to enhance this diversity, despite the economic and competitive challenges to doing so.

Program innovation and academic excellence. The new bachelor’s degrees described earlier, one newly instituted and one proposed, reflect these institutions’ commitment to finding new academic approaches to better serve societal and individual needs. A further need and strategic opportunity is to better understand, measure and communicate the institutions’ academic and educational strengths. A more fully developed set of assessment tools and initiatives will enable the institutions to better measure, describe and convey their contributions to learning, student development, and economic and community development.

POSITION AND QUALIFICATIONS

The University of Wisconsin System seeks a visionary Chancellor with the capacity to lead two distinctive, energetic institutions, UW Colleges and UW-Extension, within a large and dynamic public higher education system. As executive head of UW Colleges and UW-Extension, the Chancellor is vested with the responsibility of administering UW System Board of Regents policies under the coordinating direction of the President, and is accountable and reports to the President and the Board on the operation and administration of the institutions.

As the leader and chief administrator of UW Colleges and UW-Extension, the Chancellor exercises broad responsibilities for all aspects of the academic, student, financial, development and administrative dimensions of the institutions, within the multi-campus system. The Chancellor must inspire and guide all members of the academic community.  Chief executive leadership calls for the incumbent to demonstrate wide latitude in judgment and action.

As directed by Board policy, and in consultation with the faculty and academic staff governance groups, the Chancellor is responsible for:

• Leading faculty, staff, administrators, and other constituents in the development and implementation of strategic plans;
• Designing curricula and setting degree requirements;
• Determining academic standards and establishing grading systems;
• Recommending individual merit increases;
• Administering associated auxiliary services;
• Creating and maintaining inclusive work environments;
• Upholding the University’s longstanding commitment to shared governance;

Providing strong leadership for the public service mission, including support of research and innovation in the digital applications of Wisconsin Public Radio and Television that offer learning opportunities and educational links across the state;

• Maintaining open lines of communication with external constituencies, including UW System Administration, the Board of Regents, community and business stakeholders, broadcast partners and other educational institutions, as well as county, state and federal governments;
• Building and strengthening broad support for the UW Colleges and UW-Extension at local, state, and national levels, advancing the two institutions’ missions through effective communication, constituent relations and fundraising;
• Defining and administering institutional standards for faculty peer evaluation and screening candidates for appointment, promotion and tenure;
• Administering all funds, from whatever source, allocated, generated, or intended for use by the institution(s);
• Maintaining collegial dialogue across the two institutions to advance and support the integration process to keep these two public institutions effective, efficient and accountable; 
• Implementing plans in a manner that preserves and enhances the quality and integrity of educational programs and services in both institutions; and
• Identifying new strategies for programmatic collaborations across the two institutions that address pressing state needs, including economic development and workforce education.

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The ideal candidate for the Chancellorship of UW Colleges and UW-Extension will have the following professional and personal characteristics: 

Academic Leadership

• The ability to evaluate, formulate, articulate, and implement a strategic vision for higher education within a diverse university environment;
• A record of academic accomplishment at the university level, encompassing programmatic and administrative experience. Others with comparable accomplishments in the public or private sectors relevant to university administration are also highly encouraged to apply;

• Academic credentials and accomplishments of a quality which will secure the respect of the academic community; faculty tenure may be granted upon the recommendation of the appropriate department;

• A familiarity with and commitment to using emerging technologies to enhance learning and expand student access;

• A commitment to maintaining and enhancing the quality of student life and valuing out-of-classroom learning experiences;

• A genuine regard and concern for students in their academic life, on-going development, and futures;

• A demonstrated record of leadership that supports and enhances the cultural awareness and diversity of the student, faculty, and staff populations on campuses and in communities, and a commitment to equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, non-discriminatory practices, inclusiveness and access for learners;

• Evidence of success serving a broad range of people that includes underserved and non-traditional populations; 

• An enthusiastic commitment to Wisconsin’s tradition of shared governance with students, faculty and academic staff and a collaborative leadership style that emphasizes openness and consultation;

• An understanding of and commitment to the principles of university-community engagement, and attention to the mutually beneficial connections between institutions of higher education and all their constituents; and

• The willingness and ability to support and expand established international programs and facilitate international student and faculty exchanges.

Organizational Leadership

• A belief in the individual missions of and respect for the unique organizational cultures of the UW Colleges and UW-Extension, as well as a commitment to forge a robust shared culture;

• A record of significant, progressively responsible experience in higher education, with demonstrated ability to provide leadership for organizational development and change processes in a complex public institution;

• Creative problem solving, negotiation, and strategic leadership skills with the experience to guide the UW Colleges and UW-Extension through administrative change, leading to new and dynamic solutions for serving the credit and non-credit educational needs of the people of Wisconsin;

• Demonstrated success with educational programming, budget oversight, fiscal affairs,  personnel management and strategic planning;

• The ability to lead faculty, staff, administrators, and other constituents in achieving shared goals through collaboration and teamwork; and

• Evidence of accomplishments that contribute to an inclusive workforce and work environment.

External Leadership

• The ability to represent the UW Colleges, UW-Extension, and the entire UW System in a manner that instills confidence and trust;

• A strong commitment to the civic mission of higher education, including innovative ways of bringing campuses and the communities they serve closer together;

• The ability to maintain collegial professional relationships with a range of external stakeholders, including members of the UW Board of Regents, representatives of federal, state, tribal and county governments, community leaders, fellow educational officials and leaders of governmental agencies;

• A proven record for engendering broad public support for higher education at the local, state, and national levels;

• Success in developing and cultivating private funding sources that help to diversify financial support for university programs and advance the institutions’ educational missions;

Personal Attributes and Communications Skills

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills and the ability to employ a variety of methods and technologies that facilitate effective, reliable communication with geographically dispersed audiences;

• Listening skills and the quality of openness in communications; 

• Personal integrity, intellectual curiosity, and creativity; and

• A resilient sense of humor.

INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

The new chancellor’s start date is subject to negotiation but January, 2011 is preferred. Review of candidates will begin this summer and, for optimal consideration, materials should be submitted no later than Friday, September 17, 2010. Application materials should include 1) a cover letter addressing the attributes noted above, 2) a resume or curriculum vitae, and 3) the names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers of at least five references which may include among others faculty, students and community leaders. Submission of materials as a Microsoft Word attachment is strongly encouraged. In accordance with Wisconsin's Open Records Law, requests for confidentiality by nominees and applicants will be honored. Please note that names and titles of the finalists must be disclosed.
Chuck Bunting and Traci Dove, of Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, L.L.C., are assisting the search committee. Questions, requests for information and all written nominations and applications should be sent preferably electronically to: c.bunting@storbeckpimentel.com or t.dove@storbeckpimentel.com; (386) 586-3359; or directed to:

Charles I. Bunting
UW Chancellor Search
Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, LLC
1400 North Providence Road, Suite 6000
Media, PA  19063

The University of Wisconsin System is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and actively seeks and encourages applications from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. It is our policy to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment.
Employment will require a Board of Regents’ mandated criminal background check.