News, announcements, remarks and correspondence from the UW-Green Bay Office of the Chancellor.
E-mails, speeches, addresses and public remarks from Chancellor Michael Alexander
The UW-Green Bay Office of the Chancellor e-mailed the following memorandum from Chancellor Miller to the UW-Green Bay campus community on Friday, August 18, 2017 reflecting briefly on the recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia near the campus of the University of Virginia.
Response to Recent Events
To: University Community
From: Gary L. Miller
Date: Friday, August 18, 2017
The Faculty and Staff Fall 2017 Convocation kicks off the academic year at 10 a.m. Wednesday, August 23, in the University Union’s Phoenix Room.
Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Phoenix Room, University Union
Program:
* This year’s Fall Convocation will not include a meal.
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Leona Cloud Commons, University Union
The UW-Green Bay Office of the Chancellor sent the following e-mail message from Chancellor Gary Miller and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs & Campus Climate Eric Arneson to the campus community on Wednesday, September 6, 2017.
Dear UW-Green Bay Campus Community,
In recent days we have heard a great deal about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the Executive Branch’s request to end the program. UW System President Ray Cross has conveyed the concerns of our campuses to President Trump (see UW System DACA letter to President 8-30-17) and is pledging our support in working with legislators on a bipartisan solution.
UW-Green Bay echoes the System’s commitment to work to protect our students. We will keep you informed as the DREAM Act or other legislation moves forward to appropriately and compassionately support those impacted by the program.
We know this is a stressful and frightening situation for students and families who may be affected by recent actions. UW-Green Bay cares about the well-being and success of our students and will provide as much support as possible during this time. Our students are the cornerstone of our campus community and we value and appreciate each and every student.
We affirm our pledge to support all students and encourage any students with concerns to reach out for help via our Phoenix Cares program (www.uwgb.edu/phoenix-cares) or our Division of Student Affairs and Campus Climate (studentaffairs@uwgb.edu).
In addition, Marissa Leza De Rosa, UW-Green Bay’s bilingual admissions advisor, is presenting information about DACA on Monday, September 11, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Christie Theatre, University Union. She will speak about what is DACA, what might change with the new regulation, and who to contact to advocate for undocumented students and employees. The presentation will leave time for questions and comments. As with other Inclusive Excellence events, this is free and open to students, employees and the public. For more information, please contact Stacie Christian at christis@uwgb.edu.
Additional Resources
My Undocumented Life
This website offers up-to-date information and resources for undocumented immigrants who are navigating the university/college setting. It provides information about scholarship opportunities that are open to undocumented students, strategies for navigating the educational system, information on how to apply for DACA/Advanced Parole, news on DAPA, and more.National Immigration Law Center
The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is an organization in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of low-income immigrants.DACA Information
This U.S. Government page provides information on requesting consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA).Thank you.
Gary L. Miller
ChancellorEric Arneson
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs & Campus Climate
The UW-Green Bay Office of the Chancellor e-mailed the following memorandum from Chancellor Miller to faculty and staff on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 announcing the appointment and charge of a newly-created Strategic Budgeting Committee.
Strategic Budgeting Committee and Charge
To: University Community
From: Gary L. Miller
Date: Wednesday, July 12, 2017
The UW-Green Bay Office of the Chancellor e-mailed the following memorandum from Chancellor Miller to faculty and staff on Wednesday, June 7, 2017 announcing the appointment and charge of a newly-created Web Strategy Committee.
Web Strategy Committee Appointments and Charge
To: University Community
From: Gary L. Miller
Date:Wednesday, June 7, 2017
The following is an opinion column written by UW-Green Bay Chancellor Gary L. Miller for publication May 11, 2017 in the Green Bay Press-Gazette and USA Today Network-Wisconsin.
I recently had an opportunity to glimpse into the mind of UW-Green Bay founding Chancellor Ed Weidner. After years in storage, a massive watercolor of Dr. Weidner’s original master plan concept for the University was restored and hung in our archives.
The piece is a visualization of his dream for a large public university, a center of creative and intellectual activity, responsive to the ever changing dynamics of the state and the region.
I thought a great deal about Chancellor Weidner’s dream this week as the Greater Green Bay Chamber rolled out a set of strategies for economic development in Green Bay and Brown County.
The eleven initiatives of the plan strike at the heart of the opportunities before this community: build on our strengths in manufacturing, our relationship with the Packers, the native entrepreneurial spirit of the region, a forward-thinking vision for downtown and a unique confluence of leadership vision to make Green Bay a source and attractor of the talent of the future.
But, the report includes something else very important.
It includes two clear messages to higher education and to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in particular.
The first message is a strong declaration that the future economic prosperity of this region depends on our ability to develop, recruit and retain high-skilled talent – a goal that absolutely depends on our higher education institutions.
This clear affirmation of the essential role higher education plays in sustaining the commonwealth is what the community founders of UW-Green Bay believed more than 50 years ago. This is most welcome and, frankly, rarely heard in higher education these days.
The second message in this report is one of the most extraordinary and unique communications I have ever seen a community extend to a public university.
In a direct and caring way, this community is saying to the University it fought to establish fifty years ago: “You need to change.”
The report is clear:
“…the role of UW-Green Bay needs to be elevated.”
“Green Bay needs a large, growing university with a broader range of programs (especially engineering, science and technology programs) and a greater emphasis on research and technology commercialization.”
The report also calls for intensified collaboration among the higher education institutions in the area with a renewed focus on innovation and talent development.
At 2420 Nicolet Drive, we have head the message loud and clear.
We are already taking action now to move forward the goals of the strategic plan:
Chancellor Weidner dreamed of a large and fully engaged public university in Green Bay. The community that invited him here continues to share his dream.
I have no intention of letting Chancellor Weidner down.
The UW-Green Bay Office of the Chancellor e-mailed the following memorandum from Chancellor Miller to faculty and staff on Friday, May 12, 2017.
Commencement and Beyond
To: University Community
From: Gary L. Miller
Date: Friday, May 12, 2017
Consultants, brought in to work with area businesses to create an updated strategic plan for the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the necessity to grow and expand UW-Green Bay at a roll-out event on Wednesday, May 10, 2017. Noting that economic development has changed over the years and that talent is the new currency, the plan puts an enormous emphasis on the expansion of public education in Northeast Wisconsin, with specific focus on UW-Green Bay.
Chancellor Miller spoke at the event, sharing with business leaders the University’s support for the plan and optimism for the future.
I am extremely excited to be here this morning and to be part of an extraordinary community-wide effort to articulate a clear framework of economic growth and prosperity in Green Bay and Brown County.
It is also a great honor to represent my colleagues Dr. Jeff Rafn, President of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Dr. Tom Kunkel, President of St. Norbert’s College, Dr. Matthew Hunsaker, Dean of the Medical College of Wisconsin and Dr. Connie Boerst, President of Bellin College. Together we represent nearly 20,000 undergraduate and pre-professional students. Our goal is to graduate all of these students and to retain them in this area in good jobs. We are all about workforce and talent development. It is important to acknowledge the leadership of Laurie Radke, Peter Zaehringer, Mark Higgins, members of the Chamber Board, and, of course, John Karras and his colleagues from Tip Strategies. Thank you for your leadership.
Before I comment on the Plan and Initiatives 4 and 5, permit me to make a brief observation as a relative new-comer to this great community. I have never lived and worked in a place presented with more extraordinary game-changing opportunities than we have before us in this community. Nor have I ever seen a more committed group of business and community leaders. The eleven Initiatives presented in this report do not represent a simple wish list. In each Initiative there are specific actions and significant community leadership in place to attain the major goals. If these goals are met—and I believe they will be—this region will be transformed in a way that will make it one of the most attractive places in the country to live and work.
Now, a few comments about the report. This report contains three very important messages for the higher education sector in Green Bay.
The first message is a strong declaration that the future economic prosperity of this region depends on our ability to develop, recruit and retain high-skilled talent and that goal absolutely depends on our higher education institutions. This clear affirmation of the essential role higher education plays in sustaining the commonwealth is what the community founders of UWGB believed 50 years ago. This is most welcome and, frankly, rarely heard these days. Thank you.
The second message is the community expectation that we will intensify the collaboration among the higher education institutions in the area with a renewed focus on innovation and talent development. We strongly agree.
The third is a message to UWGB. It is one of the most extraordinary and unique communications I have ever seen a community extend to a public university. In a direct and caring way the community is saying to the University it fought so hard to establish fifty years ago: “We need you to change.”
The report is clear:
“…the role of UWGB needs to be elevated.”
“Green Bay needs a large, growing university with a broader range of programs (especially engineering, science and technology programs) and a greater emphasis on research and technology commercialization.”
Indeed, the report is very specific about what is needed:
“Re-mission UWGB to be a larger, more R&D-focused, broader-reaching university. Its long-term trajectory should place it on a track to become a significantly larger institution with more research and technology, similar to what UW-Milwaukee has become.”
I want you to know at UWGB and throughout the higher education sector here we have heard the message loud and clear. We are taking action now to move forward the goals of the strategic plan.
- UWGB, NWTC and the Green Bay Area Public Schools have launched TurboCharge, a program to prime the talent pipeline by offering every high school senior in the Green Bay Area Public schools at least 15 hours of college credit before graduating from high school.
- We are moving ahead vigorously to win approval for a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering at UWGB—something this community has wanted for 30 years. We will need your help for this. There will be start up costs. We will be calling everyone in this room asking for your support. Please open your doors and see us.
- UWGB, Brown County and The Einstein Project have partnered to raise the funds to make the new STEM Innovation Center a reality on the UWGB campus.
- Working with our County partners we are moving the concept of the Phoenix Innovation Park, a 63 acre high-tech, innovation development on the UWGB campus.
- Working with partners we are very actively planning a presence in downtown Green Bay inside the emerging innovation district there.
- Jeff Rafn at NWTC and I along with our chief academic officers have signed a charter committing ourselves to a significantly enhanced partnership between our institutions. This effort called “Crossing the Bridge” is well under way with several reciprocal meetings of key administrators and faculty. The effort has resulted in joint programming between all four of UWGB’s colleges and NWTC.
- In a recent memo to the faculty and staff at UWGB I announced the University would begin a process this fall to reexamine the select mission statement of UWGB. This process has the full support of our Council of Trustees.
My colleagues and I enthusiastically endorse the new strategic plan. We are committed to doing our part to achieve the goals of the plan. We know we have much more to do. We are deeply appreciative of this community for its support of higher education. We promise to undertake the kind of self-reflection and change you have recommended.
Thank you. Go Phoenix! Go Packers!
In honor of UW-Green Bay Employee Appreciation Week, Chancellor Gary Miller went undercover to see what it was like to be a member of the University’s faculty and staff.
UW-Green Bay Chancellor Gary L. Miller e-mailed the following message to faculty and staff on Wednesday, May 10, 2017:
Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,
I hope you are enjoying Employee Appreciation Week, a special time set aside to enjoy the camaraderie of those we work with and to say thank you. Your dedicated service and commitment to UW-Green Bay, our students, and the State of Wisconsin are remarkable.
In ways large and small, your work touches the lives of many people every day. Watch Chancellor Miller Thanks UW-Green Bay Employees to see how much we need you and your talents here at UW-Green Bay.
As we celebrate you this week, I am especially excited to announce the return of the Phoenix Friday Every Day Initiative this summer. It was fantastic to see your Phoenix pride on full display last summer, and I invite you to do the same this year! You’ll see that the full calendar of events for this week includes Bookstore specials that will help you replenish your supply of green gear.
The challenges we encounter in higher education we face together. I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a talented workforce of people dedicated to delivering on our mission and am proud of what we’ve accomplished together this year.
Simply put, there’s no UWGB without U. I hope you are enjoying the activities taking place this week and a semester end filled with great accomplishments.
Thank you again for your exceptional service and commitment to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Go Phoenix!
Gary L. Miller
Chancellor
The UW-Green Bay office of the Chancellor forwarded UW System President Ray Cross’s message regarding the budget to faculty, staff and students on Monday, May 8, 2017.
May 8, 2017
UW Students and Colleagues,
Last week, the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) began voting on the 2017-19 biennial budget. I would like to share with you several highlights of the UW System budget request as we expect JFC will vote on our provisions mid-to-late May.
- We put forth a reasonable budget request totaling $42.5 million, which aligns our resources with the state’s greatest needs as identified by more than 5,000 citizens, students, business and community leaders, faculty and families in our listening sessions around the state.
- The request included an increase of $19 million in additional financial aid through the Wisconsin Grant program so that all students in need are served. The Board also passed a plan that freezes tuition in year one allows for an increase of no more than inflation in year two.
- Our faculty and staff work incredibly hard – and our institutions compete for talent at a national and international level. UW System asked for a compensation increase of 2% in each year of the biennium. We are also working with the legislature to ensure the UW System remains part of the compensation reserve so that our staff get the same pay increases as other state employees in future budgets. To best serve our students, the UW System needs to be able to continue to attract and retain talented faculty. We are working with the administration and legislature to refine the formula and metrics associated with outcomes-based funding. While often referred to as performance-based funding, I agree with members of the Joint Finance Committee who believe we should focus on investing in, measuring, and rewarding outcomes rather than inputs. Metrics should be measurable, have value to the state, and protect our commitment to a comprehensive and quality college experience.
- We need appropriate teaching and living spaces for our faculty and students, and we continue to advocate for our capital budget, which renovates, remodels and maintains our existing buildings. The maintenance plan we submitted affects about 3% of our existing inventory – and renovates only 1.6% of our gross square footage. Project costs go up when delayed, and if we can make the necessary repairs now, it will save taxpayers and students millions of dollars in the future. Projects at UW-Milwaukee and UW-Extension have already received formal support, and UW-Platteville, UW-Parkside, and UW-Madison may be added to the list in the future.
Looking Ahead
The UW System will receive new state dollars for the first time in nearly a decade. This demonstrates an appreciation for the value and economic impact UW System brings to Wisconsin. Historically, Wisconsin has received at least $10 in economic impact for every $1 of State funding invested in UW System. Conservatively, the UW System’s impact to Wisconsin’s economy is $15+ billion each year.
Both the UW System’s budget request and the Governor’s budget proposal focus on college affordability and accountability. While some of the tactics are different, we are heading down the same path.
Our message throughout this budget has been consistent and clear: now is time to invest in the UW. We are actively working to ensure the UW System’s final budget supports our mission of being an affordable, top tier public university system. We must provide solutions for our state’s unique problems, while driving economic prosperity for all of our citizens. By working together with stakeholders across our institutions, I am confident that our best and brightest days as a System lay ahead. Thank you for your help and support in this endeavor.
Good luck with your finals, congratulations to all those who are graduating this month, and enjoy the upcoming summer!
President Ray Cross