Posted 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 14, 2026
At UWL, Betsy Morgan built a legacy uniquely her own
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.
In fact, she didn’t see much of anything.
“You have to remember there was no internet back then, and so I didn’t know what to expect,” says Morgan, who at the time was earning her doctorate in social psychology from the University of California, Irvine. “It was cloudy all weekend, so I never saw the bluffs or how pretty it was. 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 will retire in June after a decorated UWL career that began with a faculty position in the Psychology Department and is culminating with her role as provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. A retirement celebration is set for 3 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at the Cleary Alumni & Friends Center, with remarks at 3:30.
Part of a succession of leaders who helped elevate UWL to a university known for top-tier academics as well as an outstanding athletics program, Morgan is the institution’s longest-serving provost since Carl Wimberly, who retired in 1992.
She further distinguished herself while serving as interim chancellor in spring 2024, providing critical stability following the termination of Chancellor Joe Gow and leading efforts to bolster UWL’s identity as a premier regional university.
"Dr. Betsy Morgan is an exemplary provost … who has always focused on maintaining academic excellence and student success by leading from the front, inspiring faculty, and building strong collaborations on campus and in the community," Chancellor James Beeby says. "On a personal note, Betsy has been extraordinarily kind and supportive to me over the past two years as a trusted partner and thoughtful colleague. I will miss her wise counsel, indefatigable spirit, jois de vivre and unique sense of humor. There is only one Betsy.”
A campus character
Morgan is a memorable character at UWL and across the broader landscape of higher education — someone who never fails to take the work seriously, but who is quick to use humor to disarm students and colleagues.
She is also unafraid to speak her mind — a trait that, when paired with her sharp wit, can be a double-edged sword.
“If I was starting in a new place with my personality, I would probably have a harder time,” she says. “Here, I have the benefit of people knowing me, and I hope they trust me and know I’m doing the best job I can. I do try to defuse some situations with humor, and I hope I’ve become more sensitive about how some people respond to that. You want to be someone people like working with, even if they find your personality strong, or too strong.”
Jake Speer, director of Web & Design Services, has worked closely with Morgan and the Provost’s Office on a series of website initiatives, continually refining the site for a better student experience. He says the enthusiasm Morgan brings to her work and professional relationships is infectious, often inspiring the same energy in those around her.
“Betsy is someone who not only cares about the work of the institution, but she also deeply cares about the people that make it function,” Speer says. “Especially in these times, someone like Betsy is able to bridge all gaps and find common ground, ensuring that UWL can keep pushing forward.”
Morgan’s personality proved to be the perfect prescription for campus in January 2024 after a turbulent winter break placed the university under a glaring public spotlight.
In an address laced with her trademark levity — Morgan referred to news around Gow’s dismissal as “the small nuclear device that went off a few weeks ago” — she sought to highlight the good work happening at UWL, to assure the community that the university would remain strong and, not least of all, to restore a sense of optimism throughout campus.
“I’m very proud of the remarks that I gave. I felt the university had a need in that moment, and I met it. You don’t always get that in life,” Morgan says. “When you see your school put in a light that doesn’t fit what your experience has been, it can be difficult to deal with. The campus needed to know that somebody saw the good work they were doing and would lead them through the storm. That is what I tried to do.”
An advocate for students
Some of the most meaningful moments of Morgan’s career have come in the classroom. Teaching everything from Intro to Psychology to upper-level honors seminars, she enjoyed watching unsure first-year students develop into confident, capable professionals.
Of her publications as a social psychologist, she is perhaps most proud of the handful of papers she co-authored with students. Morgan also supported many student research projects as a faculty advisor.
“The publications I have with students are very special because they represent the sort of intense intellectual experience that supports student growth,” she says. “Getting to know your students on a personal and professional level, watching them grow over time — those are all things that I miss.”
For Morgan, advancing through Academic Affairs administration produced a shift in perspective. Though she missed being in the classroom each day, she felt growing appreciation for the work of bringing people together around the common goal of supporting student success.
New courses and academic programs often make a splash. But Morgan points to a series of less flashy — but no less impactful — updates her division made to academic policies. These changes, including allowing students to retake courses they failed at UWL at other institutions, have directly supported students, removing barriers to a college degree.
Sandy Grunwald, associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, says a focus on students defines Morgan’s approach to leadership — a shared value that has allowed their work together to flourish.
“What I’ve enjoyed most is how seamlessly we have collaborated, learning from one another and leaning into each other’s strengths as we navigated complex and meaningful work,” Grunwald says. “Together, we championed student-centered initiatives that truly moved the needle. Betsy’s steadfast leadership, her commitment to students, and her ability to bring people together have profoundly shaped Academic Affairs and the campus community. It has been an honor to work alongside her for so many years.”
The next chapter
Morgan says it’s still sinking in that her time at UWL is drawing to a close.
Her focus remains on ensuring a smooth transition for the next provost and continuing to advance key initiatives — such as thoughtful integration of artificial intelligence — leaving little time to dwell on retirement.
With AI and other major challenges looming, Morgan believes UWL will benefit from “someone coming in with fresh eyes and good energy to take on the job.”
After carrying the torch for so long, she has other places to direct her attention.
She looks forward to spending more time with her mother, 88, who lives locally and remains in good health. And she plans to visit her twin sons, fully grown, one living in the Twin Cities and the other in Tacoma, Washington.
Morgan and her partner, Pete Flesch, have their hearts set on traveling, starting with a trip to the Galapagos Islands this fall. Somewhere, there’s a stretch of sand with their name on it.
Within the less tropical confines of UWL, the mark Morgan has left over 33 years is something no tide can erase.
Though she maintains the university has always been larger than any one person, the work of an effective leader can resonate for decades, shaping student experiences long after that leader has left.
Morgan’s work as provost — the day-to-day push to improve opportunities for students — will have a lasting impact, as will the difference she has made through philanthropy.
In 2017, Morgan established the Educating Irene Fund in honor of her maternal grandmother, providing scholarships to incoming undergraduate students. Irene had inspired Morgan by earning her GED after marrying and having children, instilling in her granddaughter a lifelong passion for education.
In 2024, Morgan initiated the Improving Lives Distinguished Alumni Award, given annually to an outstanding UWL graduate who has dedicated their career to improving lives in the La Crosse area. A corresponding scholarship is awarded to a student pursuing a degree in the same field as that year’s honoree.
It’s a fitting legacy for someone who devoted her own career to lifting others up, and who, once the fog subsided, grew to love a place that was once unfamiliar.
“So many people who work here, or who have worked here and moved on, say there’s something special about this place,” Morgan says. “It’s obviously geographically beautiful. And we’re a good distance from those larger cities. That part of it is luck. But the people here have an extraordinary work ethic. They care about students. And while I think most universities would say that, I think that culture is particularly strong here.”
That's why, in a job where storms always seem to be forming on the horizon, Morgan says she will walk away with peace of mind.
“There are a lot of challenges in higher education, and I know people get anxious when there’s a lot of change,” she says. “We have good faculty here. We have good staff. We will have a good provost. I know UWL will continue to do good things. I don’t worry about that in the slightest.”
