Making Great Strides, 2002-03 Annual Report

Charles W. SorensenWe just finished an interesting academic year, meeting our goals through many accomplishments. We successfully completed the first year of our e-Scholar program. In August of 2002, more than 1,300 freshmen received laptops, a historic first for UW-Stout and the UW System. Our surveys of freshmen indicate a high rate of approval for the program. Faculty really stepped up and adapted their courses and teaching styles to this new tool. In my opinion, we will see significant changes as the program continues. In three years, UW-Stout will be a campus where every undergraduate student will have a laptop. Everyone can be extremely proud of the great strides made by the many dedicated faculty, academic staff and support staff.

As the only university to be awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, UW-Stout also remains at the center of the quality movement for education, nationally and internationally. We have made well over 100 presentations, and spoken to more than 11,000 people about the positive impact this program has for higher education.

Still, we experienced such accomplishments while dealing with the worst fiscal crisis in the history of Wisconsin and the UW System. The budget cuts we were required to make (a 25 percent base cut to the UW System) were indeed difficult. Fortunately, the state has permitted tuition to increase $250 a semester, so that we could manage the cut in a way that preserved the core mission of instruction. Clearly, the historic social compact between the states and public higher education that has always guaranteed high access at affordable rates is changing rapidly. This trend, I think, will have very negative consequences in the long run.

This 2002–03 annual report represents the range of activities we are involved in daily. It focuses on our seven strategic goals—for these drive our agenda, provide clarity in vision and mission, and reflect our core values. We invite you to not only read the report, but to respond to it with questions, suggestions or comments. We want and need your involvement. If we are to remain the School of Choice for the 21st Century, we must provide the programs and services our stakeholders require.

Charles W. Sorensen
Chancellor

Questions, suggestions or comments | Next Section »