February 9 marks Chancellor Andrew J. Leavitt’s 100th day at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
Leavitt is UW Oshkosh’s 11th chancellor; he began leading Wisconsin’s third-largest public university last November.
Leavitt’s first 100 days have been busy—spent getting to know the Oshkosh community. Leavitt describes UW Oshkosh’s culture as “caring” and said he believes people are open and ready for change, something that excites him and has given him great strength.
“I’ve learned what an incredibly complex organization this University is. I’ve been really impressed with the depth of feelings people have for UW Oshkosh. Certainly the students, but also the faculty and staff are a very dedicated group of people who do amazing things for our students under increasingly challenging circumstances,” Leavitt said. “I have done a lot in my first 100 days and that’s one of the really fun parts about this job—being chancellor—the ability to go out participate in the lives of other people.”
Ultimately, Leavitt believes his role as chancellor is to provide the opportunity for education.
“It’s about making sure we deliver higher education in the most efficient and effective way possible,” he said. “There should be an opportunity or pathway for every student who wants to go to college to find an affordable way to do it.”
In some ways, the hard work for Leavitt beings now—the climate of higher education is changing, UW Oshkosh is facing budget challenges and a strategic plan to reenvision the future of the institution needs to be developed, he said.
“Moving into the next phase is about action,” he said.
To learn more about Chancellor Leavitt, check out the Introducing Chancellor Leavitt feature and video in Engage magazine.
Stay tuned this week for a series of communications addressing the future of UW Oshkosh on topics including strategic planning, the upcoming Higher Learning Commission accreditation process, budget planning and more.
- Budget Town Hall follow-up, next steps (Feb. 10)
- Chancellor’s Study Groups (Feb. 11)
- UW Oshkosh’s strategic planning process (Feb. 12)
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