WHEREAS times of crisis, such as declining enrollment, budget shortfalls, tuition freezes, reduced state funding, and the COVID-19 pandemic, will result in numerous changes to the UW System universities;

WHEREAS the faculty, staff, and students at each UW university know best the strengths and mission of their own institution and the needs of their region;

WHEREAS state statute requires that the Board of Regents “promote the widest degree of institutional autonomy” for each of its institutions;

WHEREAS UW System and the Board of Regents as public institutions are subject to Wisconsin open meetings and records laws;

WHEREAS shared governance is a fundamental tenet of the UW System that preserves the health of each university and ensures that a high quality education is available to the citizens of the state;

WHEREAS the faculty are charged by state statute, UW Board of Regents policy, and by prevailing practices with the duty to protect the integrity of each institution’s academic programs in accordance with its unique institutional mission in service to its students;

WHEREAS decisions made through meaningful shared governance processes within each institution are best able to serve the needs of the region and fulfill the promise of the Wisconsin Idea to provide the best possible education to all citizens,

We, the undersigned, call on UW System and university leaders to ensure:

- That decisions impacting the structure and/or mission of any university within the UW System be made autonomously at the individual university level;

- That all such decisions be the result of formal, ongoing, and robust consultation with the shared governance groups of each university with a focus on maintaining and enhancing quality academic instruction;

- And that there be full and complete transparency in these decision-making processes.