Message from Provost Paul M. DeLuca, Jr.
Nov. 11, 2009
Dear Faculty, Staff and Students:
As you know, we have been reaching out to get your views into the challenges that confront us as a research and learning community. A potential realignment of our research infrastructure has, not surprisingly, resonated in different ways with many of you.
I write today to let you know that your comments and concerns will be important factors in any change that may be implemented. The strength of our university is derived primarily from the creativity and hard work of our faculty, staff and students. Without your efforts and inspiration, UW would not be the great university it is, and thus any substantive change to our research apparatus will occur only through the combined efforts of the campus community.
There are no predetermined outcomes for this process. A range of options is possible. We do, however, need to acknowledge that there are issues that must be addressed and that careful consideration of how we organize ourselves to retain and grow our position as a top research university is an exercise in the broad interest of current and future Wisconsin faculty, staff and students. A failure to address these challenges and position the university for future success would constitute a serious lapse of leadership.
In five town-hall meetings and last week’s session of the Faculty Senate, in addition to numerous consultations with deans, center directors, department chairs, and faculty and staff leaders and committees, we have been able to hone our perception of the issues at hand, and of a desired process for implementing any change.
Through the University Committee and the Academic Staff Executive Committee, as well as faculty and staff ad hoc committees charged with examining our current structure and the issues we face, we will obtain the parameters to direct our efforts. It is clear to us from our conversations that Wisconsin faculty and staff possess a strong sense of ownership of UW’s programs of research and training. This ownership is part of our tradition of shared governance, and change should be guided through a consultative process to forge desired outcomes. Toward that end, we look to our faculty and staff through their governance structures to play a critical, guiding role in the process. I will continue to work closely with Bill Tracy, chair of the University Committee, and look forward to the results of the ad hoc committees as they examine the issues at hand.
In response to specific concerns such as the processing of grants, the disbursement of the annual WARF grant, the intimate connection between research and graduate education, and the need to address effectively issues of compliance, we will depend on the community through its representatives to set the tone for change and develop options for moving forward. It is imperative that we approach this opportunity comprehensively and with the knowledge that some of the key issues we face are driven by our commitments to conduct research responsibly and within the rules we have agreed to abide by.
Let me state with absolute clarity that our intent is to seriously engage the university community in this conversation. We expect that the collaboration will help us addresses acute needs and position us for future success. Nearly 80 years ago, UW was set on a path to research success through bold action to foster graduate training and the discovery of new knowledge. Our goal is to maintain the excellence of Wisconsin scholarship and establish a framework for a new century of success.
Finally, we continue to informally seek ideas and comments. These will be gathered, shared and factored into the outcome of what we hope will be a collegial and instructive exercise. Comments can be e-mailed to provost@provost.wisc.edu.