Ulrich Museum will report to provost's office
"A university art museum is a unique resource for its campus," said Gary L. Miller, WSU provost and vice president for academic affairs and research. "Its mission is to act as a vital gathering place for dialogue, education and enjoyment, and that extends to all corners of the campus and beyond. The Ulrich will continue to be an important center of teaching and research for the College of Fine Arts, as well as other WSU academic units."
"An important component of our 2008-2012 Strategic Plan is to create cross-campus and other cultural partnerships," said Patricia McDonnell, director of the Ulrich Museum, "and this move to the provost's office demonstrates the museum's purpose and ability to serve the academic needs of the entire university as well as to serve the Wichita metropolis."
Three other Kansas Board of Regents institutions with campus art museums -- University of Kansas, Kansas State University and Washburn University -- have a comparable structure with their museum directors reporting to senior university officials.
The WSU Foundation owns the more than 6,300 works of modern and contemporary art in the museum's permanent collection. The Ulrich's Advisory Board will continue as a standing committee of the foundation, including representatives from the foundation's Board of Directors and National Advisory Council.
"The museum's permanent art collection is a prized asset, offering students and community members alike direct encounters with original works of art for learning and life enrichment," said Elizabeth King, president and CEO of the WSU Foundation. "Art is for everyone, and having a university art museum report to academic affairs reflects this core value."