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UW-W WELCOME STUDENTS 2020-2021
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University Of Wisconsin-Whitewater 800 W. Main St., Whitewater • (262) 472-1234 • www.uww.edu
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, founded in 1868, is known for its award winning programs, students organizations and athletic achievements, including national championship football, men’s basketball, men’s wheelchair basketball and rugby teams. UW-Whitewater provides 50 undergraduate programs and 15 graduate programs to a campus of more than 12,000 students. The campus, voted one of the Top 100 Workplaces in southeastern Wisconsin, is located on 404 rolling acres with 40 major buildings, a nature preserve and an arboretum. The university maintains institutional accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission, and holds a variety of specialized accreditations at academic college and program levels. The institution’s teacher education programs are also approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was again named among the 2020 Colleges of Distinction – a national honor that recognizes campuses for exceptional teaching and dedication to student success. Colleges of Distinction’s selection process consists of a review of each institution’s
freshman experience and retention efforts alongside its general education programs, alumni success, strategic plan, student satisfaction, and more. Schools are accepted on the basis that they adhere to the four distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful outcomes. The university serves the community and region through various cultural events and volunteer efforts. These events include theatrical and musical productions, art and cultural exhibits, visiting artists, speakers and lecturers. On and off campus, students have donated thousands of hours of volunteer time over the past year to help improve the lives of others in Whitewater and its surrounding communities. Athletics on hold Perkins Stadium and other University of Wisconsin-Whitewater sports venues will sit vacant after the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference decided to cancel some fall sports because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision made this summer did not come easy, however, according to Chancellor Dwight C. Watson. Watson, in a letter to the community,
University Contacts The Crossman Gallery (262) 472-1207 Irvin L. Young Auditorium (262) 472-2222 Recreation Sports & Facilities (262) 472-1544 University Bookstore (262) 472-1280 University Center (262) 472-1170 Warhawk Alley in the University Center (262) 472-1164 said he and other WIAC chancellors opted to strike conference competition and championships for football, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball as well as both cross
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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater graduates display personal messages on their mortar boards during the spring 2019 commencement exercises. The 2020 spring commencement was conducted virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic shut down. TOM GANSER UW-W Welcome Students
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UW-Whitewater Welcome Students 2020-2021 A special publication of the Whitewater Register and Southern Lakes Newspapers, LLC 1102 Ann St., Delavan, WI 53115
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For advertising opportunities, call (262) 723-2250 ON THE COVER: From top: The 2019 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Homecoming parade helped kick off the annual festivities (Bob Mischka photo); J.T. Parish snares this pass from Zach Oles in heavy traffic, gaining 41 yards and setting up UW-Whitewater’s second touchdown in the 21-14 Homecoming win over UW-Platteville last year; and A locust tree in full fall color spreads above a class led by UW-Whitewater Assistant Professor of Sociology Chandra Waring (right) on the lawn near Hyer Hall (Craig Schreiner/UWWhitewater photo).
UW-W WELCOME STUDENTS 2020-2021
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country programs. Additionally, WIAC officials suspended women’s tennis and women’s golf for the fall sports season, deciding to move the sports seasons to the spring. “The WIAC chancellors all agreed that keeping our student athletes and our coaches and staff safe is what matters most,” he said. “The health and safety of our community is the first of our guiding principles at UWWhitewater, and this decision falls in line with those principles. Watson indicated he and other conference chancellors faced challenges related to the ongoing pandemic including adherence to health department recommendations as well as testing frequency. The other challenge, he said, involved the natural contact between opponents during competitions. “The WIAC member chancellors did not believe it was prudent to continue competition if we could not test student athletes regularly,” Watson said. “The close contact of these sports makes it extremely difficult to prevent the spread of COVID-19.” In the meantime, student-athletes will have practice opportunities within the limitations stipulated by the NCAA, according to a statement released by WIAC Commissioner Danielle Harris. COVID-19 changes The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is planning to return to a modified normal at both our Whitewater and Rock County campuses beginning with the fall 2020 semester. The first day of classes is Wednesday, Sept. 2. According to a press release from UWW, the fall instruction will include a mix of in-person, hybrid and online course delivery options. The expectation is that everyone at
UW-Whitewater – including students, faculty, staff and visitors – will wear face coverings on campus, indoors or outdoors, unless they have a health condition that limits their ability to wear a mask or are in a situation where they can be fully socially distant such as in a private office or single residence hall room. The college’s Facilities Planning and Management crews have completed extensive plans for the frequent cleaning of the buildings and are installing signage to encourage safe behaviors. UW-W is also working with health experts in Walworth, Rock and Jefferson counties and the University of Wisconsin System regarding testing and contact tracing and what to do should the virus be detected on campus. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, university leaders have met and will continue to meet on a regular basis regarding pandemic planning in order to ensure that all steps necessary to support the safety of the campus are implemented. The university will continue to monitor coronavirus developments both domestically and abroad and will provide the campus with key updates as appropriate. COVID-19 is not specific to an ethnicity or race – disease does not discriminate. Students and families are asked to remember the UW-W campus values as they interact with others. Racist behaviors, discrimination or stereotyping are not tolerated at UWWhitewater. Anyone who experiences harassment or discrimination – students, faculty and staff – are encouraged to file a hate bias report. The college’s website, uww.edu, is intended to serve as a resource for the Warhawk family and the campus community, and everyone is encouraged to monitor it regularly for updates.
UW-Whitewater Chancellor Dwight Watson rides in the 2019 Homecoming parade. BOB MISCHKA UW-W Welcome Students
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UW-W WELCOME STUDENTS 2020-2021
UW-Whitewater honored among 2020 Colleges of Distinction By Kristine Zaballos
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For the fourth consecutive year, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has been named among the Colleges of Distinction — a national honor that recognizes campuses for exceptional teaching and dedication to student success. “I am especially proud that we have been awarded the Equity and Inclusion badge,” Chancellor Dwight C. Watson said. “Diversity and inclusion are among UW-Whitewater’s values, and we strive to make this campus a place where all people belong, all people are celebrated, and all people are embraced for their inherent value. This recognition shows that our values are not only posted on our walls, they are walked in our halls.” “As our university values highlight, all members of the Warhawk family share a duty of social responsibility,” said Kenny E. Yarbrough, chief equity, diversity and inclusion officer. “We work hard to create and maintain a safe learning, living and working environment for all identities in our communities.” In addition to receiving the new honor and the campuswide badge of distinction, in 2020 UW-Whitewater retained badges that highlight the university’s excellence in business, education, career development and as a public institution in Wisconsin. The Colleges of Distinction selection process consists of a review of each institution’s freshman experience and retention efforts alongside its general education programs, alumni success, strategic plan, student satisfaction, and other criteria. Schools are accepted on the basis that they adhere to the four distinctions – engages students, great teaching, successful outcomes and a vibrant community.
Clockwise from top left: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students Ameera Evans (from left), from Milwaukee, and Juan Chavez and Kelsey Beaumont, both from Beloit, work together on a lab exercise in a biology class in the College of Integrated Studies on the UW-Whitewater at Rock County campus; University of Wisconsin-Whitewater head volleyball coach Stacy Boudreau’s daughter Isabel and tosses candy along the parade route as the team takes part in the City of Whitewater’s annual city Independence Day parade; Lecturer Bethann Handzlik (left) of the Department of Art and Design gives guidance as they work in a watercolor lesson. UW-W/CRAIG SCHREINER UW-W Welcome Students
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Finding a home on the prairie
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UW-W’s vibrant prairie on its way to becoming hotspot for monarch butterflies and other pollinators By Craig Schreiner UW-WHITEWATER
White clover blossoms spread carpet-like as Emily Peters and Ashley Roscoe walk one of the grassy trails through the prairie at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Nature Preserve. As student workers, they know the prairie well – they pause to pull the occasional weed and to indulge their sense of wonder. A movement in tall grass next to the trail catches Ashley’s eye and she pounces, untroubled about grass stains to her bare knees. She cups her hands around an unseen quarry but comes up with only clover blossoms. She sifts again, and there it is. A frog, tan and tiny as a fingernail, scrambles to get away. After inspecting the frog and showing it to Emily, Ashley lets it go. It burrows into grasses, incognito once again. Off the trail, bright prairie flowers and wavy grasses taller than a person extend down a slope toward a pond as two cranes fly above. Almost as invisible as the frog and interspersed with the beauty is a small blue flag marker. Approaching it, the students kneel, pull back plants competing for sunlight, and reveal a small swamp milkweed. This is the reason they are here. Milkweed is like a tree of life to the monarch caterpillar, and it benefits many other pollinators as well. “Over the past year, we did our campus Sustainability Month based off of pollinators,” said Emily, a biology major from Sussex, who then was a student worker in UW-Whitewater Sustainability. “We did an ‘Importance of Pollinators’ display in the library and other events. Much of it was to promote a (honey) bee hive, which we now have on (the far eastern edge of) campus, but also other pollinators in this area because so many of them are at risk.” In the unforgiving arithmetic of nature, pollinators equal our survival. In June 2019, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue declared a “National Pollinator Week” to raise public awareness about crashing pollinator populations. Pollinators – bees, butterflies, myriad other insects, birds, bats and even animals – are a vital part of agricultural production for the global food supply.
Emily led the effort to win a Monarch Waystation designation for the prairie from Monarch Watch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education, conservation and research for the monarch butterfly and other pollinators. “I found the Monarch Waystation program a while ago,” she said. “I was looking into them because of the campus garden, but then I saw that they do the grant program for reconstruction of prairies for pollinators. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s perfect!’” To earn the designation, she applied for a grant and won a contribution of several hundred plants representing a $1,000 inkind donation to the university. Emily remembers traveling to campus as a child with her mother, then a nontraditional student working on an art degree. Winning the contribution for the place, which
became a second home when she was a child felt especially good. “Because of the size of our prairie, we were able to get 400 milkweed plants,” said Emily, who coordinated the planting and marking of the plants. “They were from a nursery in Brodhead, so they are local genotypes as well.” While common milkweed was already abundant on the prairie, the new plants will add to the wealth for pollinators and further the restoration effort. “Monarchs are the one recognizable figure that everyone wants to help,” said Wesley Enterline, sustainability director in the campus Facilities, Planning and Management Office. “But by helping monarchs, you end up helping a lot of these other pollinators at the same time.” Emily now is a restoration intern for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. She plans to continue her plant management work in the fall as Ashley, now a sustainability intern at UWWhitewater, develops trail maps and interpretive signs to tell visitors about the prairie
habitat. Both will work with Josh Kapfer, an associate professor of biological sciences, who will advise Emily on plant selection and Ashley on interpretive information for her signs. Ashley, who has taken over checking on the milkweed plants, also runs a stream monitoring program and works in the campus garden. Both Warhawks are links in a chain of dedicated student workers who leave their mark at the university by helping to monitor stream quality, grow food, harvest and sort prairie seed and create and staff educational programs. “I want to do government conservation work,” said Ashley. “I would love to do fulltime GIS (Geographic Information System) work collecting data, but I want to be in the field. I think government conservation work will let me do that. Working for the National Park Service would be insane – that would be incredible.” Enterline said the current prairie restoration, which is located east of the Nature Preserve’s pond, is about 30 acres, leaving around 50 more acres for restoration. The prairie has become an outdoor classroom for many campus academic classes and projects. Crosscountry runners practice on the trails. The public is welcome to experience its trails as well. “The management plan will be an ongoing thing,” he said. “Ten years in the life of a prairie is nothing. This will outlast all of us, hopefully.”
Top: UW-Whitewater students Emily Peters, left, a biology major from Sussex, and Ashley Roscoe, an environmental sciences major from Arlington Heights, Illinois, in the prairie at the UW-Whitewater Nature Preserve. At left: UW-Whitewater student Emily Peters checks one of 400 milkweed plants from a grant she coordinated with Monarch Watch. Inset: A bumblebee takes nectar and pollen from flowers in the prairie at the UW-Whitewater Nature preserve on July 8. UW-W/CRAIG SCHREINER UW-W Welcome Students
UW-W WELCOME STUDENTS 2020-2021
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As the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater welcomes students for the fall 2020 semester, the process for moving students in to the residence halls will look different this year. An extended drop-off only will take place Aug. 21 to 29, replacing the traditional move-in day, helping to ease the move-in process for students and their families and to allow for social distancing. The number of time slots that will be available during each period will be limited for each building, reducing the long lines waiting for key pick-up, parking in unloading zones, and any congestion in stairwells and elevators. Everyone will be required to bring and wear a face covering. “Safety is and remains our main concern and we have worked with the local health departments on this matter. Both the Jefferson and Walworth county health departments were consulted prior to this decision being made,” Chancellor Dwight C. Watson said. “Additional steps will be taken to help keep our students as safe as possible in the residence halls including additional cleaning of the common bathrooms, among other actions.” The residence halls will continue to host two students per room, unless single accommodations have been requested and are available. Students will be able to move all their personal items in during their designated period. Those who sign-up for dates prior to Aug. 27 are expected to return home until Aug. 30, unless they are approved for early arrival. “Our traditional faculty, staff and student assistants will not be a part of the extended drop-off this year to help keep our students and their families safe. This is disappointing news to many of you who so enjoy welcoming our students and their families. We will work to provide other ways to make our Warhawks welcome,” Watson said. Students received detailed information on the extended drop-off only process from University Housing in late July.
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Getting the attention, recognition they deserve ‘Women of Valor’ exhibit key component to UW-W’s salute to veterans
By Todd Mishler COPY EDITOR
ichard Harris said it simply was time to right a wrong. And so the coordinator of the University of WisconsinWhitewater’s Student Veterans and Military Services office joined forces with Roberta’s Art Gallery in the fall of 2019 to do just that. The result is an exhibit called “Women of Valor,” which will be displayed throughout November as part of UWWhitewater’s salute to veterans. Despite having served in all five branches of the armed forces, women’s military Richard Harris service to America often has been invisible. This display features the uniforms of female veterans who were UW-Whitewater students who have served honorably and courageously. “Over the time I’ve been here I’ve heard a lot of female veterans who have felt like they’ve been underappreciated or undervalued,” said Harris, who has held his position since 2015. “I’ve heard people say to female veterans, ‘Wow, I didn’t know you served,’ and it’s just been frustrating, from their perspective, that they haven’t been recognized for their service.” Harris said his department always has enjoyed a good partnership with the gallery, so this exhibit became a natural collaboration. “I think from a big-picture perspective, for me, is that we’re using (these female veterans’) uniforms to send a larger message, that when you walk by you don’t distinguish between genders,” Harris said. “They put on that uniform and it says U.S. Army or whatever branch, it doesn’t say male or female. All veterans are of equal value.” Harris knows of what he speaks. He served in the Army from 1985 through 1991, enduring four overseas assignments, including in the Persian Gulf. The Chicago native attended UWWhitewater from 2011-14, graduating with a degree in social work and minor in criminal justice. He earned a master’s from the USC School of Social Work. Meanwhile, some visitors still may be surprised while taking in “Women of Valor,” when they start reading the individual stories that go with those uniforms and learn that they all, indeed, are about females. “We wanted to put their stories together and asked them to contribute what they wanted to personally but also what was most important to them about their
R
service,” Harris said. “We wanted to strike a balance.” The exhibit and many other activities related to Veterans Day will be held in the James R. Connor University Center. A reception for the “Women of Valor” exhibit was Nov. 11, 2019, and the gallery for the exhibit was open during midNovember. “I really look at this exhibit as being historic,” Harris said. “As a nation, we
continue to be involved in conflicts all over the world, and many people may not understand this, but women are a part of all of that. We’re trying to increase awareness and educate people. I believe
we’re at a turning point in our history.” Along with the exhibit, the university celebrated the veterans with multiple activities during Veterans Recognition Week (Nov. 9 to 15) and beyond.
Veterans in the audience stand to be recognized as the annual Veterans Day ceremony begins in the University Center in November 2018. Keynote speaker and UW-Whitewater alumnus Cotey Jordan recounted the emotional impact of serving in an honor guard at military funerals, here cradling a flag given to him by one of the families. An honor guard of Whitewater American Legion and VFW members waits to perform a gun salute and taps on the balcony of the University Center. From left are State Sen. Steve Nass, Dennis Olson, Steve Smith and David Thompson. UW-W/CRAIG SCHREINER UW-W Welcome Students
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UW-W WELCOME STUDENTS 2020-2021
UW-W contributes more than $500 million to the regional economy annually The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has an economic impact of $514.9 million annually on the region, according to results of the university’s most recent study conducted by its Fiscal and Economic Research Center. Announced Dec. 5, 2019, the study shows that the university continues to be a key financial driver for southeast Wisconsin. The study also found: • Whitewater campus students’ annual impact is $84.3 million. • Rock County campus students’ annual impact is $8.8 million. • Camps and conferences’ impact is $7.15 million. • Warhawk athletics impact is $7 million. • Young Auditorium’s impact is $2.1 million UW-Whitewater supports 4,480 jobs and provides $198.7 million in wages to the region. “UW-Whitewater is a critical part of the communities we serve in terms of providing employment and by contributing $23.1 million in annual tax revenue to our state,” Chancellor Dwight C. Watson said in a news release. “We know our students are likely to stay in Wisconsin, and our placement rate of 98.4 percent helps further the economic impact of this university long after our students graduate.” In addition, another FERC study estimated the average annual income of UWWhitewater alumni is $73,815, compared to the average income of U.S. high school
“UW-Whitewater provides top-quality, well-educated and trained graduates who are employed by Wisconsin businesses, schools, universities and government organizations,” Kachel added in the news release. “This is one of the most accessible campuses in the nation, tuition is affordable and there are excellent on-campus and off-campus housing options.” Community leaders understand the importance of maintaining UW-Whitewater’s reputation for excellence in the classroom and beyond. “UW-Whitewater is a real gem in our community,” said Jim Caldwell, CEO of First Citizens State Bank and a UW-Whitewater Foundation board member. “There’s an entrepreneurial spirit that permeates the campus. Students and faculty members have created new companies, providing jobs and income for many people — all of which significantly affect our region in positive ways. The result is a major contribution to our UW-Whitewater Foundation Board Member Jon Kachel, left, and Board of Regents President Andrew Petersen talk as guests arrive in the Hamilton Room. The University of Wisconsin System local economy.” Board of Regents opened its December meeting at UW-Whitewater by meeting the community at “UW-Whitewater truly is a hub for innovation and economic development, both an All In Wisconsin breakfast at the University Center on Dec. 5, 2019. in the city of Whitewater and, as shown UW-W/CRAIG SCHREINER UW-W Welcome Students in the study, around Wisconsin,” Greater graduates of $38,350. And UW-Whitewater the state of Wisconsin,” said Jon Kachel, Whitewater Committee Inc. President and alumni who worked in Wisconsin earned who works in business development at CEO Jeffery Knight said. “The campus offers more than $1.8 billion and paid more than PremierBank and is a UW-Whitewater a distinguished education and much more, $117 million in state taxes in 2018. Foundation board member. “Statistics show including activities and athletics for students “The economic benefits of having a for years 2020 and beyond, more than and community members alike. And they do regional, comprehensive university such 65 percent of job openings will require a all this while remaining the most affordable in as UW-Whitewater far exceed the cost to bachelor’s degree or an associate degree. the state.”
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UW-Whitewater achieves record graduation rates By Kristine Zaballos UW-WHITEWATER
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has attained a 6-year graduation rate of 62.5%, a record for the institution and a critical measure of student success. The university’s 4-year graduation also set a record, at 39%. “I am very proud of these benchmarks,” said Greg Cook, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “We’ve put great effort into supporting student success and encouraging on-time graduation. Our 6-year rate is very strong compared to national averages, especially when adjusted for the profile of our students. A commitment to timely graduation also underscores our exceptional value at a time when students and their families want to know they are making a good educational investment.” Cook emphasized that the university achieved this success while still staying fully committed to being an institution of access. “Our access mission means that we admit students with a broader range of academic profiles than many of our fellow UW System universities; for example, more than 40 percent of our students continue to be the first in their families to attain a college degree,” said Cook. In fall 2019, UW-Whitewater enrolled 12,448 undergraduate and graduate students on its Whitewater and Rock County campuses. In addition to record graduation rates, the university has a second-year retention rate – meaning the number of students who return after their first year of college – of 80.1%, which is seven percentage points higher than similarly selective public institutions in the U.S. and three percentage points higher than the UW System regional comprehensive institutions. Explaining the record rates, Matt Aschenbrener, associate vice chancellor for enrollment and retention, emphasized the collaborative nature of the campus-wide effort to encourage retention and continued progress toward graduation. “We have great partnerships across campus, including First Year Experience, the Academic Advising and Exploration Center, University Housing, Student
Affairs, Student Diversity, Engagement and Success, and Financial Services,” Aschenbrener said. “In keeping with our Warhawk family spirit, we all work together to coordinate efforts to support students as they work toward graduation.” “A big factor in student success is the relationships they form with their faculty and instructors,” adds Cook. “One of the benefits of our smaller class sizes is that professors are able to provide the attention and care the students in their classrooms need, whether it’s helping them through a rough spot academically or pointing them to scholarship or internship opportunities.”
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students chat it up after their graduation ceremony. The university has seen a significant increase in its six-year graduation rate, reaching an all-time school high of 62.5%. The school’s four-year graduation rate also saw a record increase to 39%. UW-W/CRAIG SCHREINER UW-W Welcome Students
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