The Joseph F. Kauffman Administrative Development Program, also known as, The Kauffman Seminar, is designed to cultivate the next generation of campus leaders by providing an opportunity for participants to broaden their understanding of UW–Madison—its scope, structure, governance, history and culture.
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Seminar Topics
The Kauffman Seminar seeks to help participants develop a more nuanced picture of the university in its context to build a personal network of campus contacts and University leaders. Kauffman is here to help leaders situate their work within the structure and culture of UW–Madison.
Open to faculty, academic staff, and university staff, the Program aims to help address key leadership questions, such as:
- Who are the University’s leaders today? What motivates or frustrates them? How do they incorporate their commitments to academic excellence, diversity, equity, and inclusion?
- How is UW–Madison organized? What are its sources of tangible and intangible support? Where are the connecting threads in such a sprawling institution? How has our past shaped where we are today?
- How is UW–Madison different from other major public research universities, such as our Big Ten counterparts?
- What are some of the issues confronting higher education, and how might UW–Madison respond? Where do we stand with respect to access and affordability for students, public perceptions of universities and political interventions based on those perceptions, as well as major shifts in funding sources?
- How can the university balance the values that sometimes conflict, such as unfettered inquiry with a coherent mission or openness with security?
2024 – 2025 Kauffman Seminar
The dates for the 2024 – 2025 Kauffman Seminar are confirmed. Sessions will occur in-person at 21 N. Park St. from 8:30 – noon on the following Fridays:
- September 20
- October 4 & 18
- November 1 & 15
- December 6
- January 31
- February 14 & 28
- March 14 & 28
- April 11
Deans and Division directors will be making nominations in July. Please check back in late August for additional updates.