Strange but true: UW-Whitewater’s administration has an org chart that’s only slightly less detailed than the one for the UnIted States Department of Defense.
It’s understandable that the Pentagon should have an intricate structure: America is a vast continental republic, with a large navy, army, air force, and marine corps. (One wishes we had few military obligations abroad. Nonetheless, the size of the Pentagon’s current org chart makes sense considering our current commitments.)
The UW-Whitewater org chart is simply overdone and silly: two pages, including – wait for it – a four-levels deep succession plan for times when the chancellor is unavailable.
Our campus is one of thirteen four-year schools in the University of Wisconsin System, where Wisconsin is one of fifty states in America. Across those fifty states, there are thousands of four-year colleges.
It’s silly to pretend that one school’s chancellor is so very vital and indispensable that he or she requires that kind of succession plan.
This university administration cannot make itself better through laughably overdone charts, plans, or pronouncements.
To those who have recently graduated — congratulations, as you have achieved something worthy through your efforts and those of supportive teachers, friends, and families.
Success comes – as it has many times – from the individual and group accomplishments of students, supported by teaching academics and sadly-unheralded staff members, not from the preening of top administrators.
Charts below —