In opening address, Chancellor Beeby sets values, priorities for years ahead

In opening address, Chancellor Beeby sets values, priorities for years ahead

In his first address to the campus community, Chancellor James Beeby shared his vision for supporting students, investing in staff and faculty, and advancing UWL to new levels of excellence.

Beeby, speaking to a packed crowd in The Bluffs ballroom in the Student Union, said he devoted much of his first two months as chancellor to meeting people on campus and in the community, laying the foundation for future partnerships and progress toward shared goals.

"I spent the first eight weeks running around town, walking around town, visiting with so many people on campus and off campus," he said. "This city loves this campus. This region loves this campus. I have met with so many business leaders, civic organizations, community leaders and school leaders both in and outside the community who really care about this instiution, our students and what we do here."

Beeby discussed the importance of keeping students at the center of the university's work, including the development of new academic programs and a focus on helping students excel inside and outside the classroom.

"Our most critical work we will do this year is educating our students - that is why we are here," he said. "We must do all we can to continue to be a student-centered institution with high-quality academics. And we need to make sure our campus remains welcoming and inclusive to students from all walks of life, wherever they come from."

A common theme throughout Beeby's remarks was the power of people - the human engine behind UWL's impressive enrollment and retention numbers, its immaculate grounds and buildings, and its reputation as a university of choice.

For UWL to retain outstanding staff and faculty, Beeby said, the university must make a concerted effort to support its personnel through both strong culture and competitive compensation. This includes a proposal for a 5% pay increase in 2025 and a 3% pay increase in 2026, as outlined in the Universities of Wisconsin state budget request released this month.

"Internally, our biggest challenge is recruiting and retaining our great people," Beeby said. "We will do everything we can to get the resources that you need so that you are compensated well, you have career advancement opportunities and you have professional development so that you can do your jobs well."

Beeby emphasized two other projects that promise to have a transformative impact on students, staff and faculty: the development of a new strategic plan and the completion of the Prairie Springs Science Center.

UWL's current strategic plan, initiated in 2016, has served the university well but is at the end of its functional lifespan, Beeby said. He hopes to engage as many stakeholders as possible - students, staff, faculty, community members and more - in the development of a new plan.

"If we don't know where we want to be in the next five years, how will we know when we've got there?" Beeby said. "I call on all of you to be involved and engaged with this. It must be aspirational: We are already excellent. How are we going to be better? How are we going to intentionally look for ways to improve? What can we do to continue to be a destination institution that serves the needs of the state and our citizens?"

Securing legislative support for the completion of the Prairie Springs Science Center, delayed for several years, is also crucial to UWL's continued success, he said.

The project, replacing 60-year-old Cowley Hall, would enhance UWL's ability to train the scientists, innovators and health care workers of tomorrow. It has support from state representatives from both major parties, Beeby noted, and is listed as the No. 1 priority on the Universities of Wisconsin capital budget plan.

"I will be in Madison myself, a lot, making sure that I talk to all of the stakeholders … to get that over the finish line," he said. "I am really confident we are going to succeed this time. We don't know what's going to happen politically. But we know the case is self-evident, and the need is critical."

Duing Wednesday's address, vice chancellors Betsy Morgan, Stephanie Pope, Stacy Narcotta-Welp, Vitaliano Figueroa and Allison Ziegelman also shared highlights from their respective divisions:

Academic Affairs

• The completion of a new major in food and nutrition sciences, and the ongoing development of new undergraduate programs in physics engineering, data science and criminology
• A projected retention rate that will rival last year's mark of 87% - the university's highest since 2004.

Administration & Finance

• A focus on sustaining UWL's culture of prudent fiscal management, with a renewed commitment to investing in staff and faculty through engagement efforts and innovative compensation strategies
• A transition to Workday for all key systems within finance and human resources, with a scheduled implementation in July 2025.

Diversity & Inclusion

• An emphasis on freedom of expression and civil dialogue on campus, particularly in the leadup to the fall 2024 election
• The creation of the Pride Center Living Learning Community, launching this fall, and the development of the Aerie Living Learning Community, set to launch in fall 2025.

Student Affairs

• A series of initiatives designed to support students' emotional and physical wellbeing, including a mindset and performance program for student-athletes, and the A9 Eatery in the Whitney Center, catering to students with food allergies to the nine major allergens
• A focus on engaging first- and second-year students through campus events and activities, with the goal of boosting retention.

Advancement

• The university's fifth-annual giving day, One Day for UWL, scheduled for Oct. 15 and 16, with new ways to give and get involved
• An increase in scholarship dollars awarded to students, including a 29% increase in dollars per scholarship and a 34% increase in dollars per student.

Recent award recipients were also recognized.

• Academic Staff Excellence Award: Stacy Narcotta-Welp, Diversity & Inclusion
• Academic Staff Excellence Program Award: Student Life
• University Staff Excellence Award: Dirck Nagy, Murphy Library
• Eagle Excellence in Teaching Awards:
• Eagle Excellence in Academic Advising Award: Lindsay Steiner, English