Student Affairs

The Student Health Center and Residence Life initiated a “Health Advocate” program to serve the campus and residence life students. Health Advocates provide wellness and health referral information, minor medical supplies and basic first aid for students. Health Advocates had 3,759 individual encounters with students in 2007-2008.
The new $21-million (104,000-square-foot), LEED-constructed Student Recreation & Wellness Center opened in September 2007. Students were involved in every aspect of the project and continue to be involved with the policy development through the student advisory committee. The facility is open seven days a week and some evenings until 1 a.m., resulting in record participation.
The Student Health Center opened the Wellness Station in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The Wellness Station offers fitness and nutritional assessments and provides health and wellness information for students. The Wellness Station had 11,936 individual encounters with students during its first year of operation.
Several new sustainability initiatives are being pursued in Dining Services, including offering more Fair Trade items, continuing to expand use of cage-free eggs when available, offering organic cheeses in Blackhawk and other organics where possible, using eco-friendly chemicals for cleaning, making improvements to recycling programs and trash removal, using compostable “to-go” containers in the To Go Room in Blackhawk Commons and reducing the use of Styrofoam containers on campus.
Reeve Union chaired Fall Fest and the second-annual Oshkosh Dragon Boat Festival. Participation was at record levels, and approximately $5,000 of the proceeds went towards student leadership scholarships.
The Oshkosh Sports Complex hosted the Division III Outdoor Track and Field Meet, the Division III Baseball Championships and the Badger State Track Meet.
Five Intercollegiate Athletic teams finished in the top 10 in the country. Eleven teams were represented for post-season competition as a team or an individual.
The Counseling Center conducted more than 300 outreach and training presentations to more than 11,000 students and saw a record number of clients at the center.
University Book & More invested in new technology for its Web site, which resulted in a 200-percent increase in their online sales.
Residence Life successfully implemented the NBC Village — the First Year Experience residence halls program in Nelson, Breese and Clemans halls. The program was so successful that NBC villagers recommended the program be expanded into a Sophomore Year Experience, which is expected to roll out next year.
Career Services’ Professional Skills Program reached 6,496 students, connecting them with employers through presentations and career events this year.
The Children’s Learning and Care Center became a site for the 4-year-old kindergarten program through the Oshkosh Area School District. The center offers a morning and afternoon session.
The Admissions Office reported that new student enrollment was up in all categories for fall 2008. The first-year student numbers jumped from 1,752 for fall 2007 to 1,842 for fall 2008. Transfer student numbers increased from 870 to 958, and students of color enrollees increased from 220 to 256 (first-year students and transfers combined). The quality of the class was consistent if not slightly higher than 2007.
The default rate of UW Oshkosh students/graduates on federal educational loans is only 0.6 percent, which is one of the lowest default rates in the state and country. Credit goes to the students and the work of Financial Aid staff members who provide financial counseling.
Disability Services enhanced electronic services to students and provided financial efficiencies for the department with the purchase and utilization of Dragon Naturally Program, Premier Assessable Software Suite and Project Gutenberg.
In partnership with the Oshkosh Police Department and UW-Extension, the Dean of Students Office held a successful Town Hall Meeting to discuss the issues and reduction ideas regarding alcohol use and misuse within the Oshkosh community.
More than 120 upper-class Odyssey Leaders worked with 1,800 new freshmen students during the 2007 fall orientation. Fifty teaching faculty spent Labor Day morning providing engaging learning opportunities for these students. The University reported one of the highest participation rates for freshmen during this three-day orientation.

Click here to read last year's report.