On Campus

'Black Thursday' exhibit, dialog unveiled

Last November, hundreds of alumni, community members, faculty, staff and students experienced the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh's re-examination of student demonstrations known as "Black Thursday," marking the 40th anniversary of the dramatic events on campus.

The event began as UW Oshkosh historians unveiled the exhibit, which featured audio clips from more than 100 interviews, video from television coverage of the demonstration, and photos and papers that documented the demonstrations and their aftermath.

A panel discussion followed, including members of the "Oshkosh 94" — African-American students who were expelled following a dramatic demonstration on Nov. 21, 1968.

"I didn't think I would ever come back to the campus. The exhibit was the catalyst for my arrival," said Milton Mitchell Sr., one of the "Oshkosh 94." "It was amazing."

UW Oshkosh professor Stephen Kercher describes Nov. 21, 1968, as the day the 1960s came to Oshkosh.

"Such demonstrations were happening all over the country, but Black Thursday was one of the first such to occur in Wisconsin," said Kercher, who led the team that developed the exhibit. "This project unravels the events surrounding Black Thursday by capturing the memories and perspectives of those who lived through it."

Milwaukee senior Teffanie Price, the president of UW Oshkosh's Black Student Union (BSU), was one of two students working on the project.

"Many African-American students don't know what students before them had to go through to achieve what we have now," Price said. "Things have improved for students of color, but we don't always take advantage of the opportunities they have given us."

University administration, the UW Oshkosh Foundation and the BSU supported the project. For more information, visit www.blackthursday.uwosh.edu.

University addresses budget cuts

Facing up to $7.7 million in state budget cuts, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh conducted a survey this spring to solicit feedback on the priority areas the University will consider when establishing its 2009-2011 budget. More than 470 people participated in the survey, including nearly 100 alumni. The results of the survey were presented at a campuswide forum. The full results of the survey can be found at www.uwosh.edu/admin_serv/budgets.htm.

Additionally, Chancellor Richard H. Wells testified before the state's Joint Finance Committee about the role higher education will play in the economic recovery.

For more information about the budget's impact on the UW System, visit www.wisconsin.edu/growthagenda/updates.htm.

First Emergency degrees awarded

Graduates of the state's first Fire and Emergency Response Management bachelor's degree program were among the nearly 1,000 students who participated in commencement in December 2008.

The degree provides fire and emergency personnel with leadership and administrative skills necessary to advance their careers and lead public health and safety organizations. The degree allows students who have earned an associate's degree in fire protection, fire science, paramedic technician or emergency management to take their careers to the next level.

"It is becoming more common for fire and emergency response departments in Wisconsin to require firefighters to have a bachelor's degree and sometimes a master's degree for advancement into leadership roles," said Chief Tim Franz of the Oshkosh Fire Department. "There wasn't a bachelor's degree for fire and emergency management in Wisconsin before this program, and we are very pleased that we have this option for the advancement of our firefighters."

In May, five FERM students will join nearly 2,000 classmates at commencement, bringing the total number of UW Oshkosh alumni to more than 74,000.

Professor receives prestigious award

Douglas Heil, coordinator of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh's Radio-TV-Film program, won the prestigious UW System Board of Regents Teaching Excellence Award for 2008. Heil teaches courses in narrative scriptwriting and film production in the University's Communication Department.

The University has received eight UW System Regents Teaching Excellence Awards, including five for individual professors and three for academic departments. No other UW System campus has won as many awards.

"The University couldn't be prouder of Doug and his accomplishments. His teaching philosophy, which encourages students to select general education courses with as much care as those for their major, exemplifies the University's commitment to the ideals of a liberal education," said Al Hartman, UW Oshkosh's interim provost.

Each year, the Regents honor two instructors from UW System institutions for career achievements in teaching. Another award is given to an academic department or program that demonstrates exceptional commitment to and effectiveness in teaching.

Profs challenge book's business principles

Two University of Wisconsin Oshkosh business professors have challenged the best-selling book Good to Great in a paper published in the November 2008 issue of the Academy of Management Perspectives.

Good to Great has been on Business Week's best-seller list since its October 2001 release. In Good to Great, author Jim Collins identified 11 firms as great, then used them to derive five management principles he believed led to "sustained great results."

Bruce Niendorf and Kristine Beck contend that due to two fatal errors, Good to Great provides no evidence that applying the five principles to other firms or time periods will lead to anything other than average results.

The authors explain the two errors and provide empirical tests to support their contention. When ranked with the 2006 Fortune 500, the 11 Good to Great firms have an average ranking of 202nd. In fact, one of the 11 Good to Great firms, Circuit City, recently filed for bankruptcy.

UW Oshkosh hires sustainability director

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh continues to be a leader in the state by appointing the UW System's first sustainability director. Almut Beringer, with more than 20 years of experience in the higher education sustainability movement, will lead efforts to carry out goals outlined in the University's Campus Sustainability Plan, which was unveiled in April 2008.

"Dr. Beringer brings to the University a wealth of knowledge and experience in sustainability in higher education," said Chancellor Richard H. Wells. "With more than two decades of related experience, Almut will provide leadership in the University's sustainability efforts, including developing strategies that will ultimately provide substantial savings on energy costs."

The campus has already led the nation in its green efforts. In 2003, UW Oshkosh became the first Wisconsin university to join the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership by agreeing to purchase at least 3 percent of its energy from renewable sources, making it at the time the largest purchaser of green energy in Wisconsin. In 2008, the campus became the nation's first Fair Trade University and was among the first universities to conduct a comprehensive carbon footprint analysis.

For more information about UW Oshkosh's sustainability efforts, visit www.uwosh.edu/sustainability.

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