Colleagues,
One of our most highly regarded campus leaders, Dean of the College of Letters and Science Richard Meadows, has informed me of his decision to retire at the end of the 2009-10 academic year.
Richard’s long tenure at UWM dates back to 1971. He began his career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics, and has served as Department Chair, Associate Dean of the Social Sciences in the College, and as Dean since 2001. While serving as Dean, he has overseen the College’s
- Development of new academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels;
- Growth in research productivity;
- Increasing emphasis on the first-year experience through Access to Success initiatives such as Freshman Seminars;
- Expansion of online courses and attendant increase in online enrollments, which increases access to UWM;
- Improvement of the general level of IT support available to the College faculty and staff with the establishment of the L&S IT Office.
Across all of these endeavors, he has exhibited a thoughtful, scholarly approach to serving the College’s students, faculty and staff. In many respects, he has modeled the changes he has sought, from teaching his own courses online to supporting student success through researching the impact of first-year experiences. He has also been a valued university citizen, promoting interdisciplinary endeavors such as the Teachers for a New Era project, the development of the Global Studies degree, and other collaborations with the School of Education and the Lubar School of Business.
Richard will be missed, although I feel fortunate to have the benefit of his counsel through the remainder of this academic year. The search for his successor will be a top priority, and I expect that the search process will get under way soon, with the goal of having a new dean in place by next fall.
I thank Richard for his many contributions to the University, and ask that you join me in wishing him the best for the future.
Sincerely,
Rita
Rita Hartung Cheng
