Vice Chancellor Laurent Heller’s 2018 End-of-Year Message

December 17, 2018

Finance and Administration Staff,

As another semester and calendar year come to a close, I want to thank you for all you do to make UW–Madison such an outstanding university and a fantastic place to learn, work and live.

We have so much to be proud of again this year. From the exceptional service to our students and the people of Wisconsin to the impactful discoveries in our research laboratories, UW–Madison continues to live up to the Wisconsin Idea – the revered and time-honored principle that the university should improve people’s live beyond the classroom.

Make no mistake about it. Our students, teachers and researchers could not do all the great things they do and achieve the University’s academic mission without our support. We build and maintain world-class teaching and research facilities and provide important human resources, business and financial services. We house and feed thousands of students and make sure our campus is safe for students, faculty, staff and visitors.

We do all of this with a strong sense of community and a campuswide commitment to collaboration. We know that we do our finest work when we work together and focus on what’s best for our students and state.

Because you do your work so well your contributions at times are overlooked. But there is no way that UW–Madison would be one of the world’s great universities – and one of Wisconsin’s most important and valued resources – without your commitment, diligence and day-to-day efforts.

Yes, we have our ongoing challenges. For example, students and staff from under-represented groups say they do not always find the campus to be the most welcoming place. We cannot be content until all members of our campus community look at UW–Madison as a welcoming and inclusive place where they can achieve their full potential.

But I have great confidence that our best days are ahead. In Finance and Administration, we are making progress on our Strategic Plan, including initiatives to improve campus life and sustain a healthy, inclusive and engaging work environment. We continue our efforts to enhance the University’s financial performance to generate resources to invest in our academic mission and support our students.

Thank you again for being such great partners in our ongoing service to students, faculty, staff and the state. It is a privilege for me to be your colleague, and I look forward to continuing to work with you.

I wish you a happy and enjoyable holiday season and the best for 2019.

On Wisconsin!

Laurent Heller
Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration