Owczarek named UW-Madison registrar

Scott Owczarek has been named University Registrar at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Joanne Berg announced today (Friday, Dec 10).

Owczarek (pronounced Uv-chad’-ek) comes to UW–Madison from Michigan State University, where he has worked since 2007 as associate registrar.

“One of the many attributes that Scott brings with him is his attitude towards positive change and collaboration,” says Berg. “With this comes a dedication around supporting students, faculty and staff in achieving their academic objectives. I look forward to having Scott join our division as we consider the roles we all play in student success, and how we might do things differently as a division and campus to provide even better service to the students we educate.”

From 1998-2004, Owczarek worked in the office of the registrar and the College of Lifelong Learning at Wayne State University in Detroit before moving to Michigan State University.

Owczarek, who has a bachelor of science degree in information systems management and masters of business administration from Wayne State University, says one key role of the registrar is to collaborate.

“Being connected with all stakeholders of the institution, the registrar is the nexus on campus,” he says. “I look forward to building relationships with the faculty, staff, students, and the broader campus community. We must facilitate conversations and provide support to the campus to develop and implement initiatives that support the strategic direction of our campus.”

The registrar and the Office of the Registrar are committed to providing long-term positive educational outcomes for students. As a part of the Division of Enrollment Management, Owczarek will be a strong partner with the Office of Admissions, the Office of Student Financial Aid, the Office of Integrated Student Information System, and with academic units and other campus offices.

The overall goal is to ensure a continuum of support from the time someone is recruited as a prospective student until they reach their degree goals and beyond.

Positioning the office to take advantage of technology for the delivery of service, management of records and for access to and ensuring security of information will be a high priority. A strong partnership with the Division of Information Technology and the Office of the Chief Information Officer will be critical.

Among his other goals, Owczarek says he will work to enhance and build on the relationships with the schools and colleges.

“We will continue to provide superior student service and work with the intelligent and talented students on campus,” he adds. “We will be an integral member of the enrollment management team. We will work with the other departments and offices, including academic planning and analysis, admissions and financial aid, in critical initiatives to be sure we eliminate the bottlenecks in the student life cycle, which will support and further improve the graduation and retention rates of UW–Madison.”

A search and screen committee made up of faculty, staff and students developed the list of finalists. The committee was chaired by Jocelyn Milner, associate provost and director of academic planning and analysis, and co-chaired by Brian Yandell, professor in the departments of Horticulture and Statistics. “The committee did a fantastic job, and I am so pleased with the result,” says Berg.

The registrar role is currently held on an interim basis by Dan Edlebeck. Edlebeck, former registrar at UW-Whitewater, will return to retirement. Owczarek will begin on Jan. 31, 2011. His salary will be $126,000.