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Biography of Chancellor Telfer

Richard Telfer is the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Since April 2002, Telfer has served as Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Prior to that, he served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and Chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. He has a faculty appointment as Professor of Curriculum and Instruction.

Telfer received his bachelor's and master's degrees in education at Central Michigan University in 1970 and 1972 respectively, and his Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1984.

As Provost, he had broad responsibilities for the University's academic programs and services, including serving as the chief academic officer of the University and as deputy to the Chancellor. In this role, Telfer chaired a wide variety of committees including the Academic Affairs Staff, the Deans' Council, the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee, the Enrollment Management Committee, and the Plan 2008 Committee

Telfer has been centrally involved in many significant academic and educational initiatives including, among others, development of strategies to strengthen retention and graduation rates, establishment of a new freshman learning community, and initiation of a new student seminar. Other accomplishments include co-chairing a UW System task force on the topic of credit transfer between UW campuses and the technical colleges and presenting its report to the Board of Regents. Working with an ad hoc committee of faculty and staff, he analyzed the UW-Whitewater results on the National Survey of Student Engagement and Faculty Survey of Student Engagement. The committee presented recommendations for action to the Faculty Senate. He was involved extensively with the establishment of the Academic Advising and Exploration Center, a facility designed to provide a wide range of advising assistance to freshmen and undeclared students. Working with numerous constituencies, he also helped create a consensus on university values that aligned the university's mission, values, and goals. He was active with the Faculty Personnel Rules Committee in completing the revision of the Faculty Personnel Rules. Additional accomplishments include his work with an ad hoc group representing the four academic colleges to promote writing across the curriculum, as well as with the development of an all-university writing awards program.