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Provost to reorganize responsibilities

September 5, 2002

Provost Peter Spear is expanding and reorganizing the duties of the associate vice chancellors in his office to better address campus priorities, including diversity and campus climate.

In the provost’s office, associate vice chancellors are selected from the faculty to provide leadership in various areas of academic affairs and to assist the provost in developing strategies aimed at achieving the goals contained in the university’s strategic plan.

Spear is adding an associate vice chancellor for diversity and climate, as well as adjusting the duties and titles of two existing associate vice chancellor positions, to better align his office with the strategic plan.

The associate vice chancellor for diversity and climate replaces an associate vice chancellor position that has been vacant for several years. The former position oversaw duties that other associate vice chancellors now share.

“Creating the new position reflects our commitment to diversity and climate issues,” Spear says. “This person will help lead and focus our activities to increase the diversity of our students, faculty and staff, and to improve the climate for everyone in the campus community.”

Because diversity and climate issues affect all aspects of campus life, the new position’s responsibilities will require a close working relationship with Spear, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Paul Barrows, the other associate vice chancellors and the campus community.

A search is beginning for a UW–Madison faculty member to fill a three- to five-year appointment as the associate vice chancellor for diversity and climate. The appointment—like all other associate vice chancellor appointments—will be 50 to 75 percent time, as associate vice chancellors remain active members of their respective academic units.

Spear is also reorganizing the existing associate vice chancellor positions. They will be titled associate vice chancellor for teaching and learning, and associate vice chancellor for faculty and staff programs.

Virginia Sapiro, Sophonisba P. Breckinridge Professor of Political Science and Women’s Studies, will become the associate vice chancellor for teaching and learning Sept. 3. The position was formerly titled associate vice chancellor for academic affairs with particular oversight of undergraduate education issues, and was held by Bob Skloot, professor of theatre and drama, and professor of Jewish Studies. Skloot, who already served a year longer than most associate vice chancellors, is returning to full-time faculty work.

Sapiro will help maintain a challenging, collaborative and innovative academic environment for students and instructional faculty and academic staff by building upon Skloot’s emphasis on the importance of teaching and learning activities.

Spear says students receive an excellent education at UW–Madison because they are taught by outstanding researchers, scholars and artists who are focused on integrating their research and teaching activities. He says Sapiro will bring fresh ideas on how to make teaching and learning enhancements more accessible to faculty and academic staff.

“Gina is very smart and creative, and she will bring new perspectives and insights to campus teaching and learning programs,” Spear says. “And as a world-renowned political scientist and scholar who holds a prestigious named professorship, Gina will help these programs gain the respect of our research-active faculty.”

Sapiro will work closely with Barrows on teaching and learning issues that interact with student life programs, such as residential learning communities.

Linda Greene, Evjue-Bascom Professor of Law, is now the associate vice chancellor for faculty and staff programs. She also held the position under its previous title, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs with particular oversight of faculty and gender equity issues.

Greene will perform many of the same duties under the new title and will continue to work closely with administrators in various campus units to address strategic hiring, faculty development and other issues of concern to faculty and staff. Greene will continue to chair the Human Resources Working Group, supervise the Employee Assistance Office, and lead in the development and design of the Academic Leadership Series.

“Linda has a vast amount of experience dealing with all areas of human resources on this campus,” Spear says. “Her talents and expertise are key to the continued growth and development of our already world-class faculty and staff.”