On Campus

Construction begins on new residence hall

A new suite-style residence hall will give upperclassmen a new place to call home beginning in 2012. Construction on the hall, located on the site of the former Breese, Nelson and Clemans residence halls, begins this summer.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Petra Roter said the new hall supports the University’s retention efforts.

“Students have asked for this type of housing, which gives them apartment-style amenities while allowing them to continue living on campus,” said Roter. “The new hall also responds to student demands for an environmentally friendly facility that fits into the University’s commitment to sustainability.”

The five-story facility will provide 340 beds reserved for sophomores, juniors and seniors. The two- and four-room suites will include shared living rooms, kitchenettes, and storage space, as well as a private full bath and a private half bath. The residence hall, planned to meet platinum LEED standards, will feature many green elements. Among them will be photovoltaic cells for hot water heating, a green roof, a geothermal ground source heat pump for heating and cooling and specialized bicycle storage, allowing students to have easy access to green transportation.

See renderings and read more about the new residence hall and other construction projects.

University unveils brand platform

After thorough research, focused creative development, and an extensive feedback and testing phase, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh unveiled its creative expression of the brand last month.

The brand platform includes a new wordmark, tagline and other visual and verbal elements that support the University’s mission and values, including an innovative, six-part brand promise.

“Since each of UW Oshkosh’s key constituent group looks to the University to provide something different — whether it be a place of discovery for students or continued opportunity for faculty and staff — we believed strongly that it was important to articulate a specific brand promise to each segment,” said Jeanette DeDiemar, executive director of Integrated Marketing and Communications.

The University’s promise to alumni: UW Oshkosh sends its graduates into the world as talented, liberally educated, technically skilled global citizens who are fully engaged as leaders and participants in economic, civic, political and social life and who have lifelong ties to the University.

The brand platform and guidelines represent nearly two years of work. Innovative in nature, the final product was completed by existing staff in the Office of Integrated Marketing and Communications. However, while the bulk of the work was completed by IMC, the entire campus community played a role in its development.

“Thanks are due to all those throughout the University who provided collaboration and counsel during the development process; your insight and feedback were essential,” said Chancellor Richard H. Wells. “We should be especially appreciative of how well our faculty, staff and students worked together as we reallocated our resources and talents to develop a sophisticated, authentic, and outcome-based integrated marketing and communications strategy.

“It is important to note that our comprehensive brand identity was not created by a single individual; rather, it was ‘discovered’ with the help of many internal and external constituencies. In other words, together, we have discovered something that has been an inherent part of our community for a long time. So it is now time to broadly share and continue to keep our brand promise,” he said.

DeDiemar added that the University has been introducing the new image incrementally over the past two years through a new University Web site, the launch of two awarding-winning publications — UW Oshkosh Today and the alumni magazine Engage — an overhaul of most print and online publications, and implementation of photography that reflects the University in an authentic, creative context.

“We have appreciated the participation of the hundreds of faculty, staff, students as well as external constituents who provided input and counsel during this rewarding process,” DeDiemar said. “These collaborative, ground-breaking efforts have resulted in a strong, compelling and authentic brand platform and have brought regional and national distinction to the University.”

University to build first dry biodigester in the nation

Cafeteria leftovers soon will be fueling the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus, thanks to the nation’s first dry fermentation biodigester, which will be built on campus this summer.

The renewable energy facility will include heat and power generators, producing up to 5 percent of the campus’s electricity and heating needs. The majority of the waste used in the biodigester will be provided by campus and community sources, with the remainder being supplied from other area agricultural partners.

Because a dry digester uses waste from food, agriculture and yards, the fuel is available for the cost of shipping. Unlike wet digesters, the plant will not produce wastewater that needs to be treated or disposed.

“A dry fermentation anaerobic digester is very different in design from the wet digesters that run on manure or sewage,” said Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services Tom Sonnleitner. “The process is essentially moving composting indoors.

“Our goal is to provide a living laboratory of renewable energy infrastructure for our students, faculty, staff and community,” said Sonnleitner.

The $2.5-million project, a collaborative effort with the UW Oshkosh Foundation, is partially funded by a $232,587 grant from Wisconsin Focus on Energy and a $500,000 grant from the federal government’s stimulus program.

Read more about the biodigester.

Living Legacy: Schulke Scholarship Benefits Future Generations

Carol Schulke’s career path led her to public and private universities as a dedicated educator in the field of social work. Following her 2003 retirement as department chair and associate professor of social work from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, she established a revocable charitable trust to carry on her life’s work through the Carol L. Schulke MSW Collaboration Scholarship at the UW Oshkosh Foundation.

In addition to providing financial assistance to students through her scholarship, Schulke challenges the perception that public universities have excess resources and do not need charitable financial support. She recognizes the growing need for support in the midst of dwindling state allocations. Leading by example, the message Schulke wants to convey is clear: support students at state schools. 

Schulke completed all credits toward a doctorate degree and earned a master's of social work from UW-Madison and a bachelor's degree from Miami University. She devoted her career to developing and promoting educational programs that emphasize high-quality services strengthened by collaborative efforts.

At UW Oshkosh, she was instrumental in creating the Collaborative MSW Program with UW-Green Bay, gaining approval for the venture from colleagues, institutional leaders and system administrators. Having previously worked and built relationships at UWGB, she saw compatibility between programs, principles and personnel well suited to create the partnership. 

The program, launched in fall 2003, became fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education in July 2006. The MSW curriculum strives to meet the social service needs of the northeastern Wisconsin region and relies on the input and feedback from its many constituencies.

Program leadership alternates between UWO and UWGB, and representatives of both institutions serve on the selection committee. Classes are held in the Appleton area on evenings and Saturdays to best serve the needs of the geographically dispersed enrollment. 

Schulke’s mission is to protect the purpose for which the program was created, preserve the culture of collaboration and ensure its structural integrity. She is passionate that the program continues in the collaborative spirit in which it was created. She believes it can serve as a model for other MSW programs. 

Students enrolled in the MSW program through UWO or UWGB are eligible to apply for the scholarship. The scholarship provides reimbursement of tuition and other essential educational expenses toward the pursuit of a MSW degree by aspiring social work professionals who intend to enhance their long-term career goal of serving children and families in the public sector. 

Schulke has fond memories of the students she taught, many first-generation, and the sacrifices they made to pursue their education. Her gift will benefit not only future recipients of the award but also the clients they will serve throughout their careers. 

As a UWO faculty emeritus, Schulke’s legacy will live on through the students she educated during her career as well as future recipients of the scholarship, which will be awarded in perpetuity through her endowed fund.

More new UW Oshkosh Foundation funds.

Through the Lens

Photo by Jaslyn Gilbert

Construction is well underway on the first new academic building on the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus since 1971.

The new, state-of-the-art facility, constructed by J.P. Cullen & Sons, will house the College of Business and several departments from the College of Letters and Science.

The vacated space in Clow Hall and the Nursing/Education building will be reconfigured for the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) and the College of Nursing (CON), allowing COEHS to expand services to local constituencies and to further statewide programs. For example, the EXCEL Center for STEM Education, which focuses on increasing the number of science and math teachers in Wisconsin, and a small library for K–12 teachers currently housed in the basement of Polk Library, will benefit from the additional space.

Meanwhile, CON envisions a premiere, state-of-the-art “Center for Nursing Innovation.” This center would encompass a hospital simulation center with Intensive Care and Emergency/Trauma Units. A “home care” simulation site also is a priority, as patients and their families deal with more equipment and care than ever before in the history of the U.S. These enhancements, as well as a commuter lounge, will serve the needs of its diverse student body and keep CON at the forefront of leadership in nursing education.

To support the campaign for the building’s construction or scholarship opportunities, visit www.pridepurposepromise.org.

Check out the photo gallery from the construction project.