As the semester begins, I would like to welcome you – or welcome you back – to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). I hope you will take advantage of all of the opportunities this vibrant institution has to offer.

As dean, I want all members of our community to feel supported and appreciated for your unique contributions. I encourage each of you to tap into the creativity and strength that comes from all of the diverse perspectives of your fellow students, faculty and staff.

I also want to provide you with some additional information related to discussions occurring within CALS about redesigning our structures so that we can continue to be a strong community of learners into the future. Some of these discussions include examining our undergraduate academic offerings.

I want to reassure you that these plans will not change your path to your major. Any student who has declared a CALS major will be able to graduate with that major.

Future students may have a few different majors to choose from, but it will not negatively impact any current students. In fact, it takes several years to launch a new program or to change an existing one. We know how important your majors are to you – they provide you with an intellectual home-base and ground your studies at the university. Because majors are so fundamental, the university takes the time to carefully consider changes.

This year, I also hope to engage all members of our community in a broad discussion about your CALS experiences. I want to know about the amazing experiences you have as a student that make an impact on your life. As you go through the year, I hope you will share examples of experiences you have as a CALS student. You can share them with the whole community on social media using #MyCALS and mentioning @UWMadisonCALS or you can send me an e-mail at deans@cals.wisc.edu.

I look forward to another great year of discovery and learning.

Best wishes,
Kate VandenBosch
Dean, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences