To reflect UW-Stout’s commitment to align campus initiatives with its mission and values, this annual report is organized around the university’s five-year strategic goals.
Beyond the Challenge: Accomplishments and Contributions
Published for the Chancellor's Office by the Office of University Relations with assistance from the Office of Budget, Planning and Analysis.
I am now well into my second decade of service to UW-Stout, and I remain extremely impressed with the positive, proactive attitude that has always characterized the campus. Faculty, staff and students remain excited about the future of this fine university, even with rather dramatic reductions in our budget. People take pride in our unique special mission; the friendly, collegial environment; and the commitment we have to students and to quality education.
The key to any successful organization is planning, and we continue a very dynamic planning process, focusing on the future of UW-Stout. In 2003, we chose the theme of Focus 2010, asking how we should position this institution for the 21st century. In the fall of 2003, we engaged the faculty, staff and students in this discussion, and more than 300 participated. Further, campus discussion in the winter and spring of 2004 identified five broad goals; and, during our annual summer retreat, we identified priorities for the institution within those goals. They include: develop an efficient enrollment management plan; serve the students from the technical college system more effectively; revise our academic programs to ensure they are relevant; identify new programs and deploy them quickly; develop more science, technology and engineering options; develop learning communities; integrate the e-Scholar program into the learning communities; promote the Stout Technology Advantage; establish processes for evaluating emerging technologies; and continue to explore a “for profit” arm for UW-Stout. Teams are presently working on final plans and an implementation process for these goals.
During 2003-04, the university was aggressive in seeking extramural funding, with a great deal of success. A Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education, in the amount of $1.75 million, was awarded to UW-Stout to integrate advisement, mobile technologies and program assessment. In partnership with UW-River Falls and CESA 11, we share a grant of $750,000 from the Department of Education to promote more effective teaching of history in the K-12 system. The National Science Foundation awarded two of our mathematics professors $261,000 to study Visualization Software. Our technology education program, through a unique partnership with six other universities, is part of a $10 million grant to strengthen engineering education in K-12; our share is $750,000. The U.S. Department of Education awarded the university $200,000 to study a Campus Violence Prevention project. These are good examples of how active our faculty and staff are, and it reflects on the strong sense of professionalism we have on campus.
We continue to develop and implement new academic programs as well, since this is the heart of a university. A new master’s degree in manufacturing engineering, and new undergraduate programs in special education and golf enterprise management are welcome additions to our growing array of programs that reflect the special mission of this university.
I hope this gives a flavor of a dynamic, forward looking university; one that will provide the kind of educational programs needed for this century. This is UW-Stout, and we are very proud of this excellent institution.
Charles W. Sorensen
Chancellor