UW System Faculty and Staff,
After nine years as President of the University of Wisconsin System, I have decided to leave the presidency at the end of the year to become an advisor at the American Council on Education (ACE) in Washington, D.C. and prepare to return to teaching.
I have served longer as president than many of my counterparts, and I began doing some transition planning with Regent leadership last fall, with this decision in mind. I am looking forward to the new challenge of serving as Presidential Advisor for Leadership at ACE.
It is my belief that the quality of teaching, research, and outreach has never been better at UW System campuses. That’s a credit to all of you. Together we have opened the doors of UW classrooms to more students through the Growth Agenda and have ensured that our graduates are ready to succeed in a competitive global economy.
At a time when Wisconsin’s families needed your dedication, you stepped up. You provided solutions for an ailing economy and continued to create the knowledge that provides answers to some of society’s most intractable problems.
Even more impressive, these accomplishments came at a time of economic turmoil and constraint. Still, we managed to deliver to Wisconsin families a first-class education, strong research, and problem-solving outreach.
I am tremendously proud of your hard work, creativity, and professionalism during these challenging times.
For more information about my decision, we have posted a number of materials on our website. They include:
• The official announcement: [link destination="http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2013/r130730.htm" text="Read more"]
• My remarks at today’s news conference: [link destination="http://www.uwsa.edu/president/reilly/reilly-statement.htm" text="Read more"]
• Regent President Michael Falbo’s remarks: [link destination="http://www.uwsa.edu/president/reilly/falbo-statement.htm" text="Read more"]
• Regent Vice President Regina Millner’s remarks: [link destination="http://www.uwsa.edu/president/reilly/millner-statement.htm" text="Read more"]
The UW System is strong. It is one of the best in the nation, and that should be a source of pride for all of you. It is my privilege to be your colleague.
Thank you,
Kevin P. Reilly
UW System President