A Message from a Vice Provost: Week of 10.13.25

Hi everyone,

 

I’m excited to take over the Provost’s message this week and share some of the work handled by the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education (VPUE). I’ve served in this role for less than a year, but I’ve been at the University of Wyoming since 2004. 

 

The most important thing that I do is serve as the Accreditation Liaison Officer from UW to the Higher Learning Commission, which evaluates and grants us our official accreditation. So when we make changes to our programs (for example, changing credit hours, adding concentrations, adding or removing degrees, or changing names), all of these require that I report them to our program officer.  We just had a site review on Monday/Tuesday for our Pathways from Prison Program (which you can learn about here), and we look forward to getting the official report back.

 

The VPUE supervises:

• Advising, Career and Exploratory Studies (ACES)
• Compliance and Review
• Elbogen Center for Teaching and Learning (ECTL)
• Learning Resource Network (LeaRN)
• Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC)
• Student Education Opportunities (SEO)

 

Earlier this summer, I asked the leaders of these programs to outline key points about their roles on campus, and I hope this gives you a quick synopsis of how they support different parts of the University. You can find this information here. If you have any questions, please reach out to them to learn more about their work!

 

Another part of this job is interacting with the 8 community colleges in Wyoming and the Wyoming Community College Commission. I attend the Common Course Numbering System (CCNS) meetings, where we all work to align courses across our state for the betterment of students. I work closely with the Office of Transfer Relations and the Registrar’s Office. So when we want to make changes to course names or prerequisites, these changes can have implications for the CCNS committee and even our articulation agreements. We are heading up to Casper next week for the Articulation Summit and look forward to the dialogues between selected programs and the leadership from the community colleges.

 

That collaboration across Wyoming’s educational landscape connects closely to the spirit of the Shepard Symposium Community Day this Friday, which celebrates authentic partnership and community engagement. The event highlights how meaningful relationships among individuals, organizations, and communities can foster a positive, lasting impact. Much like our work with the community colleges, these efforts remind us that collaboration, mutual respect, and shared purpose are at the heart of everything we do to serve students and strengthen Wyoming’s future. You can find out more about the Shepard Symposium and the schedule here. 

 

Undergraduate Research Day is slated for Saturday, April 18th, and I wanted to give people time to put it on their calendars and take a moment to see what our undergraduate students are doing as they complete their degrees. I promise there will be a research subject of interest for everyone.

 

As the VPUE, I’ve realized that together, we are the heartbeat of this university. From classrooms to offices, labs to living spaces, from supporting student athletes to student scholars, our collective commitment shapes the experiences and opportunities that define UW. Let’s continue to bring our best ideas forward, celebrate one another’s work, and collaborate across units to strengthen our University.

Sincerely, 
 
Michelle Hilaire
Vice Provost, Undergraduate Education