It has been a busy start to the spring semester as the planning for our Lake Winnebago Region Restructuring project accelerates. While there is still much to be decided and determined, it is an exciting time for our campuses as we grow together into one stronger institution: three campuses, one university.

Along with Regional Executive Dean Martin Rudd, who serves as the strategy officer on the restructure project, and UW Oshkosh CIO Anne Milkovich, who serves as the planning officer, many of our efforts in 2018 have been focused on communicating externally. Another area of emphasis for me has been in visiting and getting to know the UW-Fox Valley and UW-Fond du Lac campuses through open forums and other campus events.

A Lake Winnebago Region Restructuring Advisory Group has been developed and launched. The group includes community stakeholders from throughout the region. The Advisory Group will meet for the second time next week—and is charged with sharing perspective and guidance, as well as helping us share our message of the restructure efforts and progress externally in our communities.

Along with Dean Rudd, I have also been sharing information about the restructuring externally via our local media outlets. Visit uwosh.edu/restructure for links to the media clips.

Internally, more than 40 work groups made up of faculty, staff and students, have begun discussing and evaluating the many questions and process changes that result from joining three campuses. Work groups are addressing the transition under the umbrella of eight major areas—Academics, Administration, Student Affairs, Information and Technology, Governance, Culture and Identity, Marketing and Branding, and External Affairs. Currently, many of the work groups are focused on developing lists of tasks, mapping critical paths and identifying needed subgroups. Groups are working on different timelines depending on the requirements of each area. For most groups, work will continue well after the July 1 launch date.

Meanwhile, at the UW System level, much of the work is focused on transitioning and integrating the data in the student information systems, which is at the core of university operations.

The Lake Winnebago Restructure website now includes information about work group members, frequently asked questions and news updates. This is your best source for the most up-to-date information as the project moves forward. I will also send periodic email updates through the remainder of the spring semester and into the summer. I invite you to visit the contact us section of the website to leave questions and feedback.

While there are big changes ahead, the promise of our institutions remains strong. Thank you for your attention and dedication to these historic changes for our region and the state of Wisconsin.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Andy Leavitt