Alumni and friends of the University of Wisconsin-Superior received on email the morning of May 8 from Chancellor Dr. Renee Wachter, announcing that she is taking a leave of absence effective May 18 to go to Madison, where she will serve as interim president of the Universities of Wisconsin “until a permanent president can be hired.”
The former president, Jay Rothman, was fired by the Board of Regents in April for undisclosed personnel matters.
In her letter, Wachter also announced that in her absence, Dr. Maria Cuzzo will serve as interim chancellor. Cuzzo, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, was due to retire at the end of this school year but has put her retirement on hold.
“The most important thing I can say is this: our beloved university is in very good hands,” Wachter wrote. “We have a thoughtful, experienced leadership team that knows this campus well and leads with integrity. I trust them fully to continue moving our work forward with care and purpose. We have a new strategic plan and an enduring sense of purpose to each other, to our students, and to our region.
“UW–Superior has been home for me, and that makes this moment feel especially meaningful. I carry this place — and the people who care about it — with me as I take on this new responsibility and will continue to lift up our experiences and perspectives in the days ahead. I have learned a lot from you, about passion, hard work, dedication and an unquenchable spirit, and I will carry that with me to Madison until I return.”
