On July 1, 2018, oversight of UW–Extension’s Conference Services and Mailing Unit, Cooperative Extension (COOP), Wisconsin Public Media (Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television), and the Department of Labor Education (School for Workers) will transition to UW–Madison. The Conference Services and Mailing Services unit will integrate into the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration. Pursuant to a resolution passed by the board of Regents last month, both COOP and Wisconsin Public Media will be in a new division on the Madison campus. The Department of Labor Education will integrate into UW–Madison’s Division of Continuing Studies.
While each institutional structure and operation faces unique transitional challenges, colleagues from UW–Madison and UW–Extension have been working together to establish a seamless process that allows for the continuous delivery of services and programs. The Steering Committee overseeing the transition has spent the last three months clarifying what can be done in the first phase by July 1 and documenting additional challenges that will take longer to resolve.
What this means for all four of these units as of July 1, 2018:
- Complete institutional authority transfers to UW–Madison.
- Some leadership positions will begin reporting to UW–Madison. Some of these leadership positions may have joint appointments with UW–Madison and their current employing unit, but they will operate under the authority of UW–Madison as they continue to administratively lead the programs and personnel of their current employing unit.
- Current policies, rules, procedures, shared governance rights and responsibilities, and business and administrative processes for each institution remain in place and should be followed unless otherwise directed.
- All current contracts remain in place and will be honored by UW–Madison. Contract renewals occurring after July 1, 2018 will be done in consultation with UW–Madison.
- Payroll and benefits will continue to be processed by each employee’s current home institution until their employment is fully transferred to UW–Madison.
After July 1, 2018 the second phase of the transition will begin. In this phase, all remaining issues identified by the Steering Committee and the working groups regarding Human Resources, IT, Finance, Volunteer Management, Auxiliary Services and Governance (including tenure) will be addressed. For example, the volume of employees needing to transfer into the UW–Madison HR system will take much longer than the July 1 transfer deadline given to UW–Madison by the Board of Regents for the transition.
To ensure this transition continues to proceed with minimal disruption for delivery of services from all units transferring to UW–Madison, the following structure will be put in place for each of the transferring units:
UW–Extension Conference Centers and Mailing Services
- All operations of this unit are expected to completely transition to UW–Madison by July 1, 2018.
- All of the approximately 60 staff are expected to become UW–Madison employees by July 1, 2018.
- The unit will report to the UW–Madison Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration.
Cooperative Extension
- Cooperative Extension will move to a new division at UW–Madison by July 1, 2018.
- The new division will report to the UW–Madison Provost.
- The dean as well as the associate and assistant deans will begin reporting to UW–Madison by July 1, 2018. They will continue to administratively lead the programs and personnel at Cooperative Extension under the authority of UW–Madison. The dean will report to the UW–Madison Provost. All other report lines will remain as they are now.
- Remaining employee appointments will transfer to UW–Madison over the next 12-18 months.
- Inter-Institutional Agreements (IIAs) for integrated faculty at non-UW–Madison campuses will remain in place.
- All administrative and financial support services provided by UW–Extension will continue until each is fully transitioned to UW-Madison.
Wisconsin Public Media
- Wisconsin Public Media will move to a new division at UW–Madison (the same division with Cooperative Extension).
- The new division will report to the UW–Madison Provost.
- The Director of Wisconsin Public Media will begin reporting to the UW–Madison Provost on July 1, 2018 and will continue to administratively lead the programs and personnel at Wisconsin Public Media under the authority of UW–Madison. The director will report to the UW–Madison Provost. All other report lines will remain as they are now.
- Remaining employee appointments will transfer over the next 12-18 months.
- All administrative and financial support services provided by UW–Extension will continue until each is fully transitioned to UW-Madison.
Department of Labor Education
- Personnel currently affiliated with the Department of Labor Education will be integrated into the Division of Continuing Studies at UW-Madison, subject to resolution of processes relating to tenure or other aspects. The timing of this transfer is not yet determined.
The Steering Committee will continue to engage with faculty and staff in all units as well as all existing UW–Madison and UW–Extension governance groups as appropriate during both phases.
Thank you for your patience as we move through this complicated transitioning process. As always, questions about the transition can be sent to uwexquestions@provost.wisc.edu.