August 30, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
Over the summer a group of colleagues and I have been engaged in a strategic planning exercise for the Graduate School, an opportunity to further augment the margin of excellence in graduate education at UW-Madison. I email today to update you on the progress of our work and to encourage you, as key stakeholders in graduate education, to become involved in the process early in the fall semester.
Our steering committee is a diverse group composed of graduate students, faculty, staff, and other campus leaders from across the academic disciplines. We have been guided by consultants from the Office of Strategic Consulting to think deeply about strengths and opportunities for graduate education at UW-Madison. We completed an environmental scan, discussed the school’s current mission and values, and drafted a vision statement and strategic priorities.
Early in the fall semester, we will invite the graduate education community to become engaged and provide input through focus groups and surveys. We will ask you to comment on our draft vision and strategic priorities and to also think critically about what our group might have missed. In other words, how can we, together with campus, work to attract, retain, and support our next generation of thought leaders in master’s and doctoral degree programs?
Please watch for additional communication in September, including a survey invitation.
Thank you, in advance, for your time and input into the strategic planning process.
William J. Karpus Dean of the Graduate School Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine | 
