This summer, the university is set to move people who work in human resources, finance and research administration out of individual departments and into five “administrative regional teams” that serve all units within the College of Letters & Science.
As Dean Eric Wilcots outlined the plan last fall, he recognized “this is a significant shift for staff to process” and would likely cause “a great deal of anxiety.”
With the change, though, college leaders hope to create more resilience among staff and “ensure departmental operations do not grind to a halt if there is a sudden leave or staff vacancy,” Wilcots said. The dean also expects improved access to training, professional development and future career advancements.
The College of Letters & Science was home to nearly half of the 50,633 students enrolled at UW-Madison last fall. The college offers 65 undergraduate majors, including in biology, economics and history.
Union leaders — who represent faculty, staff, graduate students and other workers at UW-Madison — sent a letter in January to Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin encouraging the university to rethink the upcoming changes in the college.
