She found a home and left a mark
Morgan retires after decorated career, transformative impact
Betsy Morgan retired in June after 33 years at UWL and nearly a decade as provost.
Posted 1:05 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026
When Betsy Morgan interviewed for a job at UW-La Crosse in 1993, she didn’t see herself spending the next 33 years helping to shape the university’s future.
She didn’t see much of anything.
“It was cloudy all weekend, so I never saw the bluffs or how pretty it was,” Morgan recalls. “I asked when I would get to climb the observation tower, and I was told it was the smokestack — you couldn’t see the top of it. But I liked the campus, and this was the only job offered to me.”
The rest, as they say, is history. Morgan retired this summer after a decorated UWL career that began with a faculty position in the Psychology Department and culminated with her role as provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. She further distinguished herself while serving as interim chancellor in spring 2024.
Known for her quick wit and vibrant personality, Morgan played a key role in elevating UWL’s reputation for academic excellence.
Her record of accomplishments includes revising academic policies to expand access to a college degree, guiding the development of new programs designed to meet shifting workforce demands and establishing scholarships to support student success.
“Dr. Betsy Morgan has been an exemplary provost … who has always focused on maintaining academic excellence and student success by leading from the front,” Chancellor James Beeby says. “I will miss her wise counsel, indefatigable spirit, joie de vivre and unique sense of humor. There is only one Betsy.”
In retirement, Morgan intends to travel and spend more time with her family.
As UWL searches for Morgan’s successor, Sandy Grunwald, who worked closely with Morgan as associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, will serve as interim provost.
“I know UWL will continue to do good things,” Morgan says. “I don’t worry about that in the slightest.”