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Message from the Vice Provost – August 2019

Portrait of Phil Reid
Philip J. Reid, Vice Provost, Academic Student Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

The work we do every day – individually, collectively, and collaboratively – enhances the academic experience for each of the UW’s 57,000 students. As divisions within Academic and Student Affairs, we provide the tools that faculty and students need to be successful – from enrollment and academic performance data to technological and pedagogical support for faculty; from policies and practices that protect the privacy of personal data, to course scheduling and more.

To some, the work we do may seem mundane. But the significance and impacts are huge.

Academic and Student Affairs (ASA) is a central unit within the Office of the Provost. ASA is composed of the following divisions:

In addition, a small team supports the provost’s strategic initiatives and overall project management for ASA.

  • Jamie Palermo is my executive assistant.
  • Marisa Nickle directs strategic initiatives.
  • Marcus Hirsch oversees project management and the ASA Technology Task Force.
  • Katy DeRosier leads special programs such as the Husky Seed Fund.
  • Elizabeth Lowry leads ASA communications, as well as the provost’s communications efforts.

Leaders of the ASA divisions report to me in my role as vice provost for Academic and Student Affairs. I, in turn, report to Provost Mark Richards and serve on his executive team. While my role and the ASA reporting structure were formalized two years ago, I’ve been working with each of the divisions for many years, including my time at UW-IT collaborating on projects such as admissions and financial aid modernization, developing and supporting instructional technologies, and classroom renovations.

Collectively, ASA is composed of more than 300 full-time employees and 200 student workers. Many of us serve undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty on all three campuses, while the Privacy Office supports the privacy protection of all university-managed personal data.

ASA divisions also work in partnership with the Graduate School, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Student Life and the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, and many other organizations to further our mission and efforts. ASA Advancement, led by Tomitha Blake, works with leadership in these units, along with Enrollment Management, to secure resources for scholarships, fellowships, and programs that promote student success.

Since I began as a professor teaching Chemistry, I have always been committed to students and their academic experience. In those days, I taught classes of 500 students a quarter. Today, my work – and our work together – impacts student success at an even greater scale. Thank you for the role you play in each student’s experience, from the time they apply to the University, to the moment they walk across the stage at commencement. I look forward to highlighting the great work you are doing throughout ASA through regular messages like this one to all ASA divisions.

Best,

Phil Reid
Vice Provost, Academic and Student Affairs
Professor of Chemistry