UW-Platteville Chancellor Search Prospectus

SEARCH PROSPECTUS

CHANCELLOR FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINPLATTEVILLE

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINPLATTEVILLE

OPPORTUNITY SUMMARY

The University of Wisconsin System invites

nominations for the position of chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. This leader will succeed Dennis Shields, who left on June 1, 2022 after 11 years of distinguished service as chancellor.

Established in 1866, UW-Platteville is part of the UW System, which consists of 13 universities across 26 campuses and a statewide extension network with offices in every county. UW-Platteville enrolls approximately 6,485 undergraduate and graduate students across three campuses, with locations in Platteville, Baraboo, and Richland Center. UWPlatteville campuses offer a welcoming, supportive atmosphere focused on student success. While there are many reasons to choose UW-Platteville, most often repeated by students and employees alike are statements such as “I’m more than just a number here.”

Faculty and staff are committed and energetic, doing whatever is needed to help students reach their goals and discover their purpose. The result is a UWPlatteville community that loves their university, shows excitement and enthusiasm about their programs, and builds strong relationships with each other. The new chancellor will be expected to sustain—and strategically build upon—the university’s recent momentum in reputation and enrollment.

The University of Wisconsin System is seeking an experienced, forward-looking, and entrepreneurial leader, who will be presented with the following opportunities for professional and personal fulfillment: 

Serve as the leader of a three-campus university “on the move,” which has promising admissions and enhanced brand value. 

Collaborate regularly with an exceptional team of administrators, faculty, and staff in enhancing UW-Platteville’s delivery of high quality, distinctive academic programs at increasingly affordable costs.

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Interact regularly with engaged students who are appreciative of UW-Platteville’s academic and co-curricular programs and eager to apply these resources to their own growth and development as workforce-ready professionals.

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Work closely with the region’s leaders— government, private sector, academic, and community—in conveying UW-Platteville’s commitment to improving the quality of life and economic well-being of citizens in Southwest Wisconsin.

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Work and reside in a beautiful area that provides for a high quality of life and a diversity of people, resources, and activities. One of the largest systems of public higher education in the country, the University of Wisconsin System serves more than 170,000 students each year and employs approximately 39,000 faculty and staff statewide. The chancellor of each UW System institution reports to the UW System President.

applications and

OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP

Strategic planning: Shepherd UW-Platteville through the last stages of its current strategic plan (2019–24) and guide development of the next plan. The current plan was developed through an inclusive process involving a significant portion of campus constituents. The three goals of the current strategic plan are:

Goal 1: Foster Transformative Education

Foster transformative education by creating a community that values and supports all members in their pursuit of lifelong learning.

Goal 2: Increase Access

Increase the accessibility and affordability of a UW-Platteville education through recruitment and financial strategies that support students’ pursuit of their goals.

Goal 3: Invest in our Future Deliver operational excellence through innovative investments and strategic use of resources.

Strategic enrollment: Guide strategic enrollment management for all stages of the student lifecycle, including recruitment, enrollment, and student success and retention. This includes branch campuses, online programs, and graduate programs. After reaching record-setting enrollment in 2015, UW-Platteville has experienced enrollment declines in recent years, which is consistent with both regional and national trends and driven by changing demographics in the tri-state region. However, preliminary fall 2022 enrollment estimates included a 13% increase in the new freshman class, signaling a positive improvement in recruitment. The new chancellor will build on this momentum and ensure sustainable enrollment levels.

Resource management: Build and steward UWPlatteville’s resources. In recent years, budget deficits, a statewide tuition freeze, the COVID-19 pandemic, and declining enrollment have all made it imperative that UW-Platteville’s chancellor be strategic and resolute in the actions taken to strengthen the university’s financial position. This includes increasing revenue sources, through grants, philanthropy, and other opportunities. For the past three consecutive years, the UW-Platteville Foundation has achieved record donations. Last fiscal year also marked the largest gift in the Foundation’s history—a gift of $10 million. The chancellor will build on the UW-Platteville Foundation’s recent momentum in fundraising and help continue to instill a culture of philanthropy.

Advocacy: Serve as UW-Platteville’s “champion” in outreach and advocacy. The chancellor is looked to as the “face and voice” of UW-Platteville in representing its interests to external partners. The university’s success in building its reputation and resources is directly impacted by the effectiveness of its external advocacy and communications—with the legislature, the Governor and state administration, the UW President and Board of Regents, the private sector, donors, and leaders in the tri-state region and beyond. This outreach will need to be further intensified in the future, as public resources become tighter and the expectations of these external stakeholders become sharper. The next chancellor will need to convey to all stakeholders a clear and enthusiastic personal embrace of UW-Platteville. The chancellor must be able to navigate the Wisconsin political landscape and build positive working relationships with elected officials and community/business leaders. The chancellor must build strong partnerships with city and regional constituents and work with them to manage healthy physical and economic growth.

Beyond the management of a complex academic enterprise, the next chancellor of UW-Platteville will be encouraged to place a particular emphasis on several strategic imperatives that will continue to strengthen the university and add value to its students, faculty, staff, and community.

Engagement: Strengthen relationships, trust, and respect with key internal UW-Platteville constituents. While the external role of the chancellor is critical, they must be attentive to the university’s internal communities and convey a visible commitment to building a transparent, holistic culture that unites students, faculty, staff, and other governance units in support of the common mission of ensuring UWPlatteville’s future success. The chancellor will invest appropriate personal energy into building positive relationships with key campus constituents, including faculty, staff, and students. The campus culture of UW-Platteville prizes a leader who is visible, accessible, engaged, and outgoing and who personally engages in efforts to foster school pride. The chancellor should establish personal/professional

credibility by reaching out to understand faculty/ staff needs and expectations, demonstrating a keen appreciation for shared governance, and implementing proper planning and communication protocols that strengthen this partnership on an ongoing basis. The new chancellor will want to take genuine steps to align all constituents behind the plans for the university’s future successes. Finally, the chancellor will also be expected to build a high-performing senior leadership team that exemplifies a culture of mutual support where leaders share an interest in the positive wellbeing of the entire university that extends beyond his/ her immediate areas of responsibility.

QUALIFICATIONS AND QUALITIES

The ideal candidate for Chancellor of UW-Platteville will possess most of the following professional qualifications and personal characteristics:

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Financial Acumen: Experience in managing the financial and budgeting operations of a major unit or organization is a prerequisite for this position. Prior financial management experience will provide the foundation for effectively managing all major business aspects of the university, especially in a time where resources must be prioritized.

Fundraising: Raising resources is critical to the growth and progress of UW-Platteville, and the chancellor must play a key role in this process. The chancellor provides overall strategy, oversight, and involvement to help cultivate and raise necessary funds. The chancellor will have demonstrated both a talent and an enthusiasm for fundraising— including the personal and social skills—and a passion about UW-Platteville’s mission to cultivate financial support and partnerships in the private sector.

Academic Credentials: Possess solid academic credentials, preferably with a doctorate or equivalent terminal degree, and a record of significant accomplishment. A candidate without an equivalent terminal degree, but with significant and successful executive-level experience leading a complex public or private organization will be considered if they demonstrate the qualities expected of any applicant: a deep-rooted understanding of and appreciation for the freedoms, responsibilities, and independence of the university and a thorough command of the forces and issues shaping the national higher educational landscape.

Strategic Planning: Previous experience overseeing— or playing a major contributing role in— the design and implementation of an enterprise-wide strategic plan is essential. The chancellor will be equally skilled in establishing success metrics and milestones, and using those to adapt strategies and tactics to changing times or assumptions.

Community Engagement: UW-Platteville must constantly be sensitive to its community presence and image, and the chancellor must have a high level of involvement and visibility in the area. The chancellor’s work in the community is a must to help position UW-Platteville as a leading university in the tri-state region and beyond. Past experience in community organizations or nonprofit boards are indicators that the new chancellor would embrace such initiatives in this position.

DEI Commitment: Candidates must be equity-minded and prepared to serve the full diversity of members of the UW Platteville community. Must demonstrate successful experience and cultural competency in working with diverse populations with the goals of equitable student access and success and diversification of faculty and staff.

Advocacy: As a public institution, UW-Platteville’s fortunes are regularly impacted by how its external stakeholders perceive its value to the region and the State of Wisconsin. UW-Platteville’s chancellor must present the political acumen and “street smarts” to position the university effectively and positively with the UW Board of Regents, political, business, and civic leaders, and its surrounding higher education competitors.

Marketing and Promotion Experience: Much of the university’s future successes will be based on a repositioning of its brand and image not only locally, but nationally as well. A key part of driving the university’s strategic direction will be its external marketing efforts. Experience in overseeing a promotion or marketing campaign that propelled an organization forward would be beneficial to the new chancellor.

Information Technology: In today’s world of rapid technological advances and applications, a working knowledge of the direction and possibilities of information technology would be very useful in steering advances and shaping communications at UW-Platteville. This is purely at an oversight level; however, some knowledge of technology and social media would be beneficial.

Governance in a University Environment: Having firsthand knowledge of governance practices is essential, and experience gained in a university setting would be preferred. Working with a governing board will help the new chancellor become quickly and properly engaged with the University of Wisconsin’s Board of Regents. Of particular value, would be previous experience in an atmosphere of shared governance. The chancellor should possess the ability to balance the strong executive leadership needed to ensure that decisions are made in a timely and fair manner with sensitivity to the culture of shared governance, tenure, and academic freedom at UW-Platteville. This includes seeking appropriate input for major decisions; reaching out to faculty, staff, and students and encouraging their engagement in campus matters; and conveying a collaborative leadership style. These attributes will validate a commitment the university shares with the UW System’s longstanding adherence to shared governance and the pursuit of the Wisconsin Idea.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

Academic Excellence: Commitment to an environment where teaching and student success remain the top priority, with an appropriate research and scholarship agenda integrated into that priority.

Executive Disposition: Conveying a persona that is consistent with UW-Platteville’s values; demonstrating the high energy, positive attitude and personal demeanor that command leadership respect.

Student Focus: A commitment to keep students at the center of UW-Platteville’s programs and operations, with their academic and holistic development being the ultimate goal.

Entrepreneurial Thinking and Behavior: Conveying an entrepreneurial approach that encourages new ways of approaching problems and opportunities, and a willingness to foster and incent change.

Drive for Results: Setting high goals for personal and group accomplishment; using measurement methods to monitor progress toward goal attainment; tenaciously working to meet or exceed those goals while deriving satisfaction from the process of goal achievement and continuous improvement.

Valuing Diversity: A demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and international education and the ability to articulate a strong rationale for their importance to effective learning at UW-Platteville.

Authenticity: A basic genuineness which engenders trust, encompassing integrity and a willingness to be receptive to feedback; conveys confidence, but with humility.

Personal Values: A leader who exhibits and embodies integrity, collegiality, leadership development, support of scholarship and creative activity, and enthusiasm. A leader who values participating in a campus community that honors tradition, embraces intelligent growth, and reflects the collegiality, respect, mutual support, and warmth of family. Above all, a servant leader who has the courage and conviction to make the necessary decisions in a compassionate way to ensure UW-Platteville’s long-term success.

ABOUT UW-PLATTEVILLE

The university was founded in 1866 as the State Normal School in Platteville—the first teacher training institution in the state. In 1907, the Wisconsin Mining Trade School in Platteville was founded. The two institutions would eventually merge in 1959, forming the present-day UW-Platteville and beginning its rich tradition of academic excellence and unparalleled student experience. In 2018, the UW-Platteville collaboratively integrated with two former two-year colleges. UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County and UW-Platteville Richland officially became branch campuses after Higher Learning Commission approval.

UW-Platteville has strong programs in agriculture, education, criminal justice, and forensic investigation, and is the premier institute in Wisconsin for engineering and other STEM disciplines. The university offers top-level, hands-on education with a strong liberal arts foundation. UW-Platteville is also known for the exceptional, personal support it provides students—in particular, first-generation college students, who make up 35% of the undergraduate student body.

This student-centered approach coupled with its academic excellence at a low-cost tuition, sets UWPlatteville apart from other institutions.

MISSION

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville provides associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degree programs in a broad spectrum of disciplines including: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; criminal justice; education; business; agriculture; and liberal arts. We promote

excellence by using a personal, hands-on approach to empower each student to become broader in perspective, intellectually more astute, ethically more responsible, and contribute wisely as an accomplished professional and knowledgeable citizen in a diverse global community.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is one of 13 four-year universities in the University of Wisconsin System.

UW-Platteville offers more than 50 undergraduate majors across its three colleges:

College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture: The College of BILSA offers a diverse range of programs and experiences and includes the biology and industrial studies programs, as well as the School of Agriculture and School of Business. Pioneer Farm is a working farm consisting of 430 total acres with some of the best soil in Southwest Wisconsin.

College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science:

UW-Platteville has been a leader in educating engineers for more than 100 years, earning a national reputation as a prestigious institution. The College of EMS offers eight ABET accredited engineering programs—civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, engineering physics, environmental engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, and software engineering— as well as chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and sustainability and renewable energy systems.

College of Liberal Arts and Education: The College of LAE provides students a foundation for future professional growth and lifelong learning. It is home to the School of Education, as well as programs in criminal justice, social sciences, English and humanities, performing and visual arts, environmental sciences and society, philosophy, psychology, and more.

UW-Platteville is also a leader in distance education, having begun offering degrees through its print-based program in 1978. In 1999, the institution became the first public university in Wisconsin to offer degrees online. UW-Platteville currently offers 10 online master’s degree programs and 10 online undergraduate degree programs.

UW-Platteville has 16 athletic teams that compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which has won more NCAA Division III championships than any other conference in history. Among the facilities are the 10,000-seat Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium and the newly expanded and renovated Williams Fieldhouse.

UW-Platteville consistently receives state and national recognition for the value it offers students. Payscale has repeatedly ranked UW-Platteville as the top public institution in the state for return on investment, and College Consensus ranked it 19th on its 2022 list of top 100 best value colleges and universities in the country.

BRANCH CAMPUSES

In 2017, the UW System president announced a plan to integrate the system’s 13 two-year campuses with seven receiving four-year campuses. The Higher Learning Commission approved this collaborative integration in 2018, and UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County and UW-Platteville Richland became branch campuses of UW-Platteville. Both branch campuses offer associate degrees in arts and sciences, business administration, food and agriculture, hospitality and tourism management, and pre-engineering—with an easy, seamless path to continue a student’s educational journey to the UW-Platteville main campus for a four-year degree. UWPlatteville Baraboo Sauk County recently added a new Bachelor of Business Administration in Management program to the academic offerings on its campus.

(November 28, 2022 update: In response to a directive from UW System President Jay Rothman, UW-Platteville will be ceasing in-person degreebearing instructional activities at the UW-Platteville Richland location, effective July 1, 2023.)

UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County

UW-Platteville Richland

STRATEGIC PLAN

The

UW-Platteville’s 2019–24 Strategic Plan provides clear direction to further our mission, which is in part to promote excellence by using a personal hands-on approach to empower each student, and to achieve our vision of being recognized as the leading studentfocused university.

Goal 1: Foster transformative education

Foster transformative education by creating a community that values and supports all members in their pursuit of learning.

Goal 2: Increase access

Increase the accessibility and affordability of a UW-Platteville education through recruitment and financial strategies that support students’ pursuit of their goals.

Goal 3: Invest in our future

Deliver operational excellence through innovative investments and strategic use of resources.

Underlying each of the these goals are objectives related to the university’s emphasis on inclusivity and equitable outcomes, including Objective 1.3 of creating an inclusive educational experience by enhancing students’ diversity, equity, and inclusion competencies through curricular and co-curricular experiences; Objective 2.1 to increase recruitment outreach to underrepresented populations; and Objective 3.3 to invest in faculty and staff, including the strategy for attracting and recruiting candidates with a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Central to the success of the plan, is cross-divisional collaboration, which is why champions and key team members for each goal were intentionally set up to have cross-division representation. At UW-Platteville, the strategic plan is a living, breathing document kept at the forefront of all decision-making in order to align our time, energy, and direction with the strategic plan. The planning process for the university’s next strategic plan will begin soon, giving our next institutional leader an opportunity to shape the strategic path forward.

strategic plan is the culmination of significant input from the university community, including faculty, staff, and students from all three campuses.

SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN REGION

UW-Platteville is located in the southwest corner of Wisconsin in what is known as the Driftless Area—a region of the Midwest that was untouched by glaciers and therefore has a scenic landscape characterized by steep hills, ridges, and river valleys.

CITY OF PLATTEVILLE

With a population just over 12,000, Platteville is the largest city in Grant County and offers a historic Main Street downtown with shopping and restaurants, outstanding public schools, and scenic outdoor areas and parks, including more than eight miles of public trails for biking or walking. The greater Southwest Wisconsin region is enjoyed by outdoor enthusiasts in every season, home to some of the best locations for hiking, biking, fishing, snowshoeing, and more. Platteville is only minutes away from the Iowa and Illinois borders and a short distance to major cities, including 25 minutes to Dubuque, Iowa; just over one hour to Madison, Wisconsin; and less than three-anda-half hours to Chicago, Illinois.

CITY OF BARABOO

Serving as the county seat for Sauk County, with a city population of over 12,000, Baraboo is known for its

rich and colorful circus history as the former winter home of the Ringling Brothers Circus; the beauty of the crown jewel of the State Park system Devil’s Lake State Park; its long connections to natural history as home to both the International Crane Foundation and the Aldo Leopold Foundation; a picturesque and vibrant downtown with extensive shopping and restaurants; robust agricultural and manufacturing economies; and its proximity to the Wisconsin Dells, one of Wisconsin’s largest tourism destinations.

CITY OF RICHLAND CENTER

Richland Center, population 5,000, is located on Hwy 14 between Madison and La Crosse and is home of industrial, retail, agricultural, and medical enterprises. The industrial parks feature businesses specializing in metal machining, food products, transportation, and packaging. The Downtown Historic District offers unique shopping and business opportunities. Richland Center is the county seat for Richland County.

A STEWARD OF PLACE

Dating back to its roots as the first Normal School in Wisconsin, through its merging with the Mining School, and up to the present-day institution, UW-Platteville has always been deeply embedded in and connected to the community it serves. As a steward of place, the fabric of UW-Platteville has been woven throughout Southwest Wisconsin for more than 150 years—the successes of the university and its communities inextricably linked.

As one of the biggest employers and economic drivers in the region, UW-Platteville has a strong partnership with the City of Platteville and surrounding communities in the tri-state region and works closely with workforce development agencies as it seeks to meet the needs of the region and create more opportunities for graduates.

UW-Platteville has made recent strides in setting up a successful framework to help rural entrepreneurs succeed. For example, UW-Platteville’s IDEA Hub—an accelerator for business startups and rural innovation—opened this year. UW-Platteville also launched its Prototyping Services to help entrepreneurs in rural Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois take ideas from paper-napkin sketches to functional prototypes to full-fledged manufacturing plans.

UW-Platteville is also working to address the critical shortage of health care workers in rural Wisconsin. In 2017, the university hosted its inaugural Health Care Summit, where educators, health care administrators, and regional practitioners joined to discuss shortages of health care providers in underserved rural areas. From that meeting came the idea of offering a collaborative Master of Physician Assistant Studies program on UW-Platteville’s campus. After several years of planning, the collaborative program officially opened to applicants in spring 2022, with the first cohort scheduled to begin in summer 2023. The UW-Madison wisPACT@UW-Platteville program will allow UW-Platteville students to earn a degree through UW-Madison’s nationally-recognized Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, while remaining on the UW-Platteville campus to complete the coursework.

UW-PLATTEVILLE STUDENTS

ENROLLMENT REPORT

In fall 2022, UW-Platteville enrolled a total of 6,485 students, across all three campuses and distance education programs.

UW-Platteville main campus

Total enrollment: 6,248*

Undergraduate total: 5,790

Students of color: 10.9%

International students: 0.8%

Gender: 63.4%† male 36.5%† female 0.1%† non-binary

74%† of undergraduate students are Wisconsin residents

35% of undergraduate students are first generation

20% of undergraduate students are Pell eligible

Top 10 majors: Mechanical engineering Civil engineering Forensic investigation Electrical engineering Biology Construction management Criminal justice Elementary education Industrial technology Psychology

UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County

Total enrollment: 177

Students of color: 34

International students: 2

Gender: 47%† male 53%† female

UW-Platteville Richland

Total enrollment: 60

Students of color: 4

International students: 2

Gender: 56%† male 44%† female * includes graduate and distance students

numbers are approximate

ACCESSIBILITY

With one of the most affordable tuitions in the state, UW-Platteville prides itself on being an access institution. Approximately 35% of undergraduate students on the main campus are first-generation college students. Just under 20% of them are Pell Grant-eligible. The percentage of total enrolled undergraduate students who received federal financial aid in fiscal year 2021 was 62% and who received gift aid (grants and scholarships) was 58%. UW-Platteville is proud to offer over $5 million in scholarships to students. A recent transformational gift of $10 million—the largest in university history—will expand this as it forms the Capstan Scholarship Program, offering full tuition and board scholarships, renewable for four years. UW-Platteville also operates a Pioneers Helping Pioneers emergency grant program, offering students grants for unexpected expenses that would otherwise put them at risk of dropping out of school. 1 UW-Platteville

WORKFORCE-READY

Students graduate from UW-Platteville workforce-ready. Employers frequently report that they recruit from UW-Platteville because graduates are ready to hit the ground running from day one. On average, 82% of UW-Platteville graduates find employment or continue their education within six months after graduation.1 The average starting salary of UW-Platteville graduates is $54,841, which is above the Great Lakes Region average.2

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is structured with an intersectional lens that incorporates the departments of Campus Climate, International Programs, Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, Doyle Center for Gender and Sexuality, Services for Students with Disabilities, TRIO Student Support Services, and the Wright Center for Non-Traditional and Veteran Students. For the past decade, UW-Platteville has included a chief diversity officer position at the executive level. The university supports a structure wherein reports of hate and bias that occur on campus, in the community, or online can be submitted through an online reporting form, and a University Bias Incident Team, made of representatives from across campus, act to support students, faculty, and staff who have been affected by the incident.

In February 2022, UW-Platteville’s Pioneers Helping Pioneers program—an emergency grant program for students—was honored with the UW System Board of Regents’ annual Diversity Award, which recognizes

programs that foster access and success for students who are members of historically underrepresented populations. In 2021, UW-Platteville was recognized by the State of Wisconsin with the Ann Lydecker Educational Diversity Award, which honors institutions of higher learning for exceptional efforts in preparing people with marginalized identities, women, and persons with disabilities for employment in the state of Wisconsin. Of particular note in the selection of UW-Platteville for this award was the university’s Midwest Culturally Inclusive Conference. This annual conference draws hundreds of participants, including students, professionals, and educators, from the tristate region, to engage in topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In fall 2022, UW-Platteville received the highly-selective McNair Scholars Program Grant that will award a total of more than $1.3 million over a five-year period, to be used for projects designed to support diverse, first-generation, lowincome students with effective preparation for doctoral studies.

UW-Platteville champions an equitable university that is inclusive and representative of our diverse communities.

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN CUTTING-EDGE FACILITIES

UW-Platteville is known for its student-centered focus and handson opportunities, which rival the experience students receive when learning a trade, except with the addition of a well-rounded, solid liberal arts education.

INNOVATION

UW-Platteville is a hub of innovation and creativity for the tri-state region, conferring nearly 4,500 STEM degrees in the last five years. With cuttingedge facilities and equipment, UW-Platteville is the best resource to support budding entrepreneurs on campus—and throughout the region. Innovation has always been at the core of the university. In fact, UW-Platteville has the most intellectual property invention disclosures of any UW System comprehensive campus—67 in the past five years.

Opened this fall, the Huff Family Innovation Center builds on this reputation. One of the largest makerspaces in the Midwest, the innovation center

supports an inclusive maker community—for students of any discipline—dedicated to fostering innovation, learning through creating and building, and expanding knowledge with technology and creativity. The space includes a wide variety of tools for students to use— from woodworking to metals, 3D printing to robotics, and textiles and vinyl, and more.

UW-Platteville’s Senior Design Program is another example of the premier hands-on education students receive. The program pairs groups of engineering students with industry partners to solve real problems or create new products under the supervision of both the industry partner and a faculty member.

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION

At the heart of UW-Platteville’s success in providing students with hands-on opportunities is the university’s emphasis on cross-disciplinary collaboration. A prime example is students’ contribution to the university’s sustainability initiatives and land management plan. UW-Platteville is home to a 2.4-megawatt solar array— the largest owned by a Wisconsin state agency. Plans for the solar array stemmed from a 2018 petition, signed by more than 300 UW-Platteville students from a variety of disciplines, asking the university to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030. In a May 2019 student referendum, more than 82% of UW-Platteville students agreed with moving toward

this goal. Installed in 2021, the array makes the university the sixth-highest on-site producer of renewable energy among higher education institutions in the nation. It is anticipated to offset electricity by 17%, saving $217,000 annually. Interdisciplinary faculty have already incorporated projects pertaining to the solar array into their coursework. Students in a sustainability and renewable energy systems course helped design the initial project; dairy science students formed a plan for sheep grazing under the array; and reclamation, environment and conservation students developed a native pollinator seeding plan for the space.

STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES

UW-Platteville’s cutting-edge labs and facilities are a driver of these hands-on experiences. At UW-Platteville, students find specialized facilities that rival those at larger, more expensive schools, and are available to them as early as their first year on campus.

UW-Platteville’s newest building, the $55 million Sesquicentennial Hall, opened in fall 2022. It unites all engineering disciplines, computer science, and the sustainability and renewable energy systems program under one roof. In addition to housing one of the largest makerspaces in the Midwest—the Huff Family Innovation Center—the building also features exposed infrastructure and data-generating building systems, enabling the building itself to be a teaching tool.

The university’s science building, Boebel Hall, just underwent a $23.7 million renovation in 2021 and includes the Cadaver Lab, Microbiology Lab, and Tree-Ring, Earth, and Environmental Sciences (TREES) Lab, among others.

The Forensic Investigation Crime Scene House is one of only a handful of its type in the nation. Arranged as a residential structure, it gives students the opportunity to practice entry procedures, photography, evidence documentation, fingerprint techniques, bloodstain analysis, and more.

Pioneer Farm is a 430-acre working farm with dairy, swine, and beef operations. It provides hands-on experience and research for students, as well as education and outreach for the greater community.

Other notable facilities include the Microsystems and Nanomaterials Lab, Hands-on Construction Lab, and the Internet of Things Lab.

FACULTY AND

Faculty are active in innovative research, patent development, and scholarly activities. Over the last five years, UW-Platteville has averaged almost 70 external grant submissions annually, totaling about $6.9 million in annual requests, and received an average of $1.6 million in external grants each year. The university has received significant support from federal agencies, with the largest ones being the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, Department of Education, and the Economic Development Administration within the Department of Commerce. UW-Platteville has also been the largest recipient of funding from the WiSys Technology Foundation, which supports intellectual property development and innovation at the UW System comprehensive campuses.

UW-Platteville is a partner in the Dairy Innovation Hub, which provides $7.9 million of state funding

annually to the UW System

increase

outreach offerings at UW-Platteville, UW-Madison, and UW-River Falls. Shared

is a long, respected tradition at UW-Platteville. The Faculty Senate, Academic Staff Senate, University Staff Senate, and Student Senate

UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County

UW-Platteville Richland

PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY

The executive search firm WittKieffer is assisting UW-Platteville in the search for its next chancellor. Inquiries, nominations, and applications are invited. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to WittKieffer’s consultants John Thornburgh and Jen Meyers Pickard, Ph.D. at UWPlattevilleChancellor@wittkieffer.com.

Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal.

For formal consideration, applicants should submit materials including the following:

 a letter of application addressing the leadership opportunities and qualifications articulated within this document

 a curriculum vitae or resume

The position will remain open until filled. Complete applications received by Jan.17, 2023 are assured full consideration. Nominations and expressions of interest will be treated in confidence. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates. The university will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except as required by Wis. Stat. § 19.36(7) which requires disclosure of those identified as final candidates for position of chancellor. Employment will require a criminal background check. It will also require applicants and references to answer questions regarding sexual violence and harassment. Material presented in this leadership profile should be relied on for informational purposes only.

All images and logos used in this leadership profile were attained from UW-Platteville and are owned by UW System.