Assistant dean urges connections among community

Connie Wilson spent the past 34 1/2 years coming to Bascom Hall every morning. That changed Nov. 30, the first day of her retirement.

But don’t be surprised if you see her wandering the halls outside the Offices of the Dean of Students one morning, ready for work. Old habits are hard to break.

“I’ve never worked anywhere else,” says Wilson, who was an assistant dean of students. “I’m such a pattern person. I told the office staff that if I show up one morning, they need to turn me around and send me right back home.”

Throughout those 34 years, Wilson has been instrumental in overseeing budgets in the Offices of the Dean of Students, developing programs and managing funding with student government leaders, and advocating for student, classified staff and campus child care centers.

She fondly recalls everything from tear gas seeping into her office, supporting student government’s purchase of pink flamingos to be placed on Bascom Hill, being the first individual to work with students of color receiving funding from the Multicultural Council to being involved in the Southworth/Frye segregated fee case argued before the Supreme Court.

Though times have changed, the energy and enthusiasm of students has remained the same.

“One of the things that have been constant is that the university is a very lively environment — it doesn’t matter if it was 1971 or 2005,” she says. “Student life issues challenge us, excite us and keep us on our toes.”

After all of those years, retirement wasn’t a decision Wilson settled on lightly. She plans to spend several days each week working on maintenance and upkeep of a 225-acre family farm in Palmyra and assisting her 91-year-old mother, Gertrude.

In her remaining spare time, she’ll attend Badger basketball games, return to a regular exercise routine and devote more time and effort to her passion, campus child care fund raising.

Wilson became active on the issue during Mary Rouse’s tenure as dean and began to appreciate the need for more funding and facilities on campus.

In 1985, she implemented the Child Care Tuition Assistance Program, a collaborative effort among student government, Campus Women’s Center and Dean of Students Office prior to the program’s transfer to the Office of Child Care and Family Resources, to provide child care assistance to student parents on the UW–Madison campus.

She jokes that she’ll employ “strong-arm tactics” in and out of the campus community to continue raising money for the cause.

With the wisdom of three decades, Wilson departs with thoughts and advice for her academic staff colleagues. She worries about the impact of technology on students. Though they may be more technologically advanced, they aren’t necessarily better connected to each other.

Wilson says working with students was the glue that kept her at the university.

“It was always a pleasure to work with students,” she says. “They have so much enthusiasm and commitment to their goals. They’re willing to take risks and they’re eager to learn.”

One piece of advice from Wilson is for the campus community to build more connections and relationships across offices and between classified staff, academic staff and faculty.

“I strongly believe that it is critical to develop good relationships with everyone, regardless of their stature or job responsibility,” she says. “We need to collaborate and support each other better as colleagues.”

Wilson is also urging all of her colleagues to support the principals of shared governance by working with the Associated Students of Madison and other student leaders. Her work with student government was extensive, as she logged thousands of hours over the years within Student Services Finance Committee meetings and provided oversight to the allocation of segregated fees.

“I wish we could all get our minds around how important student government is to campus,” she says. “I would hope to see some of the conflicts end, and have everyone work together to make a better campus.”

Interim dean of students Lori Berquam says that it will be impossible to replace Wilson’s work ethic, laugh and her “Mach speed” approach toward tackling any task.

“Connie is a gem, and she will be missed more than words can say,” Berquam says. “We are glad for her impact on each of us and the impact she has had on the thousands of students she has worked with over the years.”

Wilson says she appreciates the many visits and goodbyes during her final weeks on campus.

“I just wanted to ease out the door,” she says. “It makes my heart warm with all of the special words of thanks I’ve received. I’ve worked very hard but also had a great time during my tenure here.”