Introduction
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health is considering the realignment of three of its basic science departments (Anatomy, Pharmacology, Physiology) both to strengthen basic sciences in the School and to provide platforms for sustaining and developing research focuses that are central to the missions of the School.
To this end, we appointed a Task Force comprised of nine faculty and staff to study possible models for realignment and to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each of the models that was considered.
In its deliberations the Task Force focused on models for realignment that emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to research problems and in this context concluded that scales of organization from molecular to intact organisms should be a feature of each of the new departments.
The Task Force has now completed its work and has submitted its recommendations to Dean Golden for consideration by the departments involved. (Click to read the final report.) Links in the report will refer you to ancillary documents describing the models that were considered in detail, the strengths and weaknesses of each model, and issues that the involved faculty might wish to discuss when meeting to establish the new departments or revisit once the new departments are formed.
Other links on this page will refer you to the proposed faculty rosters of the new departments, as well as documents that have been generated by the involved faculty as part of their realignment meetings. We invite you to read this document and to provide any comments, which will be moderated. As long as your comments are signed, these will be made available to anyone who accesses this site.
Beginning with the publication of the Task Force recommendations, faculty of the Departments of Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology have been meeting to assess the feasibility of realignment by discussing the vision and missions of the new departments in the research, research training, and teaching.
Once agreement is on these issues is reached, the faculty of each of these departments will vote to decide whether to proceed with formation of the new departments. If the votes are affirmative, formal proposals for formation of the new departments would be submitted to the Academic Planning Councils of both the School of Medicine and Public Health and the Campus.
We welcome your comments! In addition to the Realignment Blog, you may submit your comments to Dr. Richard Moss, Chair of the Task Force, at rlmoss@wisc.edu.
Dr. Robert N. Golden
Dean, UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Dr. Richard L. Moss
Associate Dean for Basic Research, Biotechnology and Graduate Studies