Campus Connection

Betsy Morgan becomes interim provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at UWL during a critical two-year period for the university. In her role, Morgan will help guide UWL through its 2016 accreditation visit as well as a challenging time for the university after a $250 million cut to the UW System became part of the state’s two-year spending plan. Morgan, who began July 1, says an important part of her role will be letting faculty and staff know how appreciated they are despite the difficult time for higher education in Wisconsin. “This is hard time for employee morale. We need to recognize all the work that faculty and staff do that doesn’t get conveyed to the public that directly benefits students,” says Morgan. “Examples are advising, mentoring, grading, curriculum development, research with students and the ability to bring one’s own scholarship into the classroom.” Morgan was previously tapped to be interim provost in December 2011 until former Provost Heidi Macpherson was hired in July 2012. Macpherson left UWL in July to take a position as the next president of the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Brockport. During the 2016-2017 academic year, UWL will conduct a national search for the next permanent provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Morgan brings experience from her previous time as interim provost when she also assisted with the Higher Learning Commission accreditation process. UWL is on track to be ready for the next accreditation visit in April 2016, with special thanks to leaders in the process including: Natalie Solverson, director of Institutional Research; Sandy Grunwald, interim associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs; and Patrick Barlow, an assessment coordinator in Institutional Research, says Morgan. “It [accreditation] is something most people take for granted, but it’s incredibly important,” says Morgan. “Not only does accreditation indicate that UWL has met national quality standards, it directly affects important outcomes such as eligibility for financial aid programs.” Other important initiatives Morgan is focused on include: equitable faculty and staff compensation, evidence-based decision making related to teaching and allocating resources, an evaluation of whether to expand graduate education programs and continuing to promote Inclusive Excellence. Morgan appreciates the fact that the leadership role affords her the opportunity to connect with faculty and staff across campus and see all the working parts of the university. She says these “phenomenal” people are what has kept her at UWL since she arrived 22 years ago — the first job she was offered out of college as a faculty member in the Psychology Department. She’s been chair of the department for approximately twelve years. The department has chosen Ryan McKelley, associate professor of Psychology, as the new chair. Morgan earned her doctoral degree from the University of California, Irvine and has completed Harvard University's Management Development Program. She has won the College of Liberal Studies Excellence Award for Teaching and is the author of two textbooks and several refereed journal articles. Prior to becoming provost, she served on several university committees including Joint Planning and Budget and Joint Promotion Committee.

Five things you probably don’t know about Betsy Morgan

• She was born in Yosemite National Park, a fifth-generation Californian
• She was raised in Afghanistan from age three months to three years as her parents were serving in the Peace Corps
• She has lived in California, West Virginia and Wisconsin
• She is the mother of 23-year-old, identical twin boys
• Her two cats get their names from Harry Potter - Quaffle and Nimbus.