Making Great Strides, 2002-03 Annual Report

 

Digital Learning

Goal 1
Academic Programs

Goal 2
Active Learning

Goal 3
Academic Excellence

Goal 4
Promoting Diversity

Goal 5
Campus Climate

Goal 6
Improved Facilities

Goal 7
Educational Support

Goal 5:

Foster a collegial, trusting and tolerant campus climate

 

Mentoring opportunities introduced

Classified staff mentoring

A new mentoring program is available for all new and transferring employees at UW-Stout. The Classified Staff Mentoring Program provides a "welcome" to individuals new to the Menomonie community, the campus or a department. The program links an established classified member of the UW-Stout community to the employee, providing an opportunity to gain valuable insight into the inner working of the university. The benefits of participating in the program include:

  • increased communication and networking opportunities.
  • greater respect and recognition from others.
  • further development of skills and personal growth.
  • improved job satisfaction.

The program also provides mentoring training, learning opportunities, community contacts and Web site mentoring resources.

Academic staff women's mentoring

In response to recommendations made by UW-Stout's Equality for Women Initiative, the university launched a new women's mentoring program available to all academic staff members. This mentoring program is in addition to an already existing mentoring program for faculty. The UW-Stout Women's Mentoring Program for Academic Staff is designed to offer opportunities for:

  • networking and communication.
  • individual growth and development.
  • knowledge and involvement in the university community.
  • progress toward personal and career-related goals.

The program promotes these opportunities through one-to-one activities between mentors and mentees, group activities and informal get-togethers, and by making resources available electronically.

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Planning for a crisis

In response to recent crisis situations, from residence hall bomb threats to FBI warnings about terrorist threats, UW-Stout's Crisis Management Planning Council fine-tuned the university's crisis recovery plan.

The original plan was created in 1993 to ensure the safety and security of people and facilities during a crisis, and to get the campus back to normal operating procedures as soon as possible.

The council streamlined the Crisis Management Team according to the operational guidelines of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA recommends that one person lead a group of four people, representing four categories: operations, planning, logistics and finance.

This structure allows the university to have more people out on the campus doing what they do best, instead of sequestered in a meeting. The core group knows enough about the campus to make quick, encompassing decisions. The planning council also changed portions of the main crisis recovery plan, including the procedures for dealing with the most common threats.

The Crisis Management Team took part in a crisis recovery tabletop exercise with members of the Dunn County Emergency Management Office and the Wisconsin Emergency Management Office. The group was given a scenario and asked to plan a strategy according to the four FEMA categories.

Because a major disaster on campus would also likely affect the city and county, UW-Stout employees frequently train with the local fire department, police department and emergency management office. Currently, a Dunn County representative sits on the university's planning council, while the campus is represented at the Dunn County Emergency Operations Center.

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Preventing alcohol and other drug abuse

Over the last year, the university and the Menomonie-area community made significant progress-working together to change the local alcohol and other drug use environment. The Chancellor's Coalition Addressing Problem Drinking has been a catalyst for discussion and training; improved and coordinated programming; and changes to policies, laws and enforcement strategies. The following are a few key activities conducted in the past year:

  • Menomonie police reviewed policies of other communities, encouraged increased penalties for the illegal sale of alcohol and stepped up enforcement efforts.
  • The athletic department has implemented new guidelines and mandatory training for student athletes.
  • The Stout Student Senate established and enforced alcohol-related expectations for organizations.
  • Staff designed surveys and collected data for UW System, the Menomonie School Board, and The Dunn County Partnership for Youth to assist with AOD-related decisions.
  • UW-Stout completed the third and final year of a national Department of Education study on AOD programming, in preparation for implementing a Social Norms Marketing Campaign in 2003-04.
  • A Campus Climate publication was designed and distributed to all students and employees, outlining rights, responsibilities and procedures for a civil campus community.
  • The Peer Health Education program was established by Student Life Services.
  • The Student Theater Troop was organized to help deliver an AOD safety message to incoming students and their parents during summer registration.
  • A variety of campus activities and events have been sponsored by Student Life Services, specifically, as alternatives to drinking.
  • A newly hired programming coordinator worked with fraternities and sororities on AOD abuse prevention initiatives.
  • A booklet titled, "The Faculty Link: How college professors can support alcohol education in ways that are consistent with their role as faculty," was distributed to all teaching staff.

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