Announcements

Academic Plan update

Faculty and staff,

Our current Academic Plan concludes in 2027, and the plan that will guide our future academic priorities is beginning to take shape. Over the summer, a group of faculty and instructional staff, led by co-chairs Denise Roseland, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, and Jonah Ralston, professor of politics, government and law, developed an initial framework. Their work will be the foundation of a collaborative feedback process. The goal of this process is to create a nimble Academic Plan that boldly positions UW-Whitewater to succeed in a fast-changing higher education landscape. A recommended plan is expected to be shared with Chancellor King by March 2027.

The current draft is organized around five goals:

1. Reimagine the Academic Program Array

2. Support Stable Enrollment Through Flexible Pathways

3. Advance Pedagogical Expertise and Responsible Technology Integration

4. Strengthen Institutional Academic Capacity

5. Communicate and Extend the Value of a UW-Whitewater Degree

These goals are currently in draft form and precede a broad consultation process that will provide faculty, staff, students, shared governance groups, academic units, and other key partners with multiple opportunities to react to the draft, identify opportunities for refinement, and offer new ideas. Engagement will include a university-wide survey, open forums, targeted discussions, student focus groups, written feedback, and formal review at the spring faculty meeting. Co-chairs will partner with campus constituents to coordinate these opportunities. 

An early opportunity for widespread engagement will take place during Program Innovation Day on Friday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to noon in University Center, room 275. During the event, participants will rotate through facilitated roundtable discussions to respond to the draft and identify concrete strategies related to flexible pathways and teaching and learning. Topics will include accelerated and applied degrees, high school and adult learner pipelines, expedited curriculum review, and pedagogy responsive to emerging technology. Please let us know you plan to attend so we can share materials with you before the event.

Following the consultation period, the feedback will be synthesized to revise the draft. A summary of what was heard, what changed and why, will be shared. Additional information and opportunities to participate will be shared as the process moves forward.

Thank you in advance for contributing your experience, ideas, and perspective to this important work.