David Ward, interim chancellor

Paul M. DeLuca Jr., provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs

Darrell Bazzell, vice chancellor for administration

People are the most important resource at the university. As part of our strategic plan, we strive to be good stewards of our resources. The talents, knowledge, energy and dedication of all kinds of employees have made this a great place and will help us continue to build what Interim Chancellor David Ward has called “a model public university of the 21st century.”

The environment our employees work in is changing. The 2011-2013 Wisconsin Budget Bill permitted the university to develop its own personnel system. In this case, “system” doesn’t refer to a particular technology, but rather to the structures, processes and policies that shape how we recruit, reward, develop and manage our workforce. Our current system has evolved over time and reflects our relationship to UW System and the state of Wisconsin. While we want to preserve the positive elements of our current approach, we believe that changes could have significant positive results for both employees and for UW-Madison as an institution.

We have an historic opportunity to become even better stewards of our human resources and, in turn, build an even stronger workforce.

While the university wants to make the most of these new flexibilities, we are also keenly aware of internal opportunities to redesign processes, improve communication and promote consistency. We anticipate that many of these enhancements will be incorporated into this larger project as we work toward an integrated approach, allowing the various components to work together effectively and efficiently.

The Human Resources Design Project (HR Design) we are undertaking is a complex one. It potentially reaches employees in every category, it has statutory and regulatory parameters, and it must be executed in coordination with our recent technical implementation of the Human Resource System (HRS). At the same time, we are considering this ambitious project in the context of ongoing financial challenges. All of this uncertainty means that the scope of the project will continue to be developed and refined over several months. We appreciate your patience as the project unfolds.

Throughout this process, we are committed to transparency that will look across the whole institution for input and involve many of you. We are hoping for dialogue not only within existing groups, but also across them. Through these conversations, we hope to challenge some of our assumptions and consider many different scenarios. Our approach to engagement will take many forms — input from advisory and governance groups, campus forums, surveys and focus groups.

Please check back to this site to learn how you can participate in this process.

David Ward
Interim Chancellor

Paul M. DeLuca Jr.
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Darrell Bazzell
Vice Chancellor for Administration