University Relations at UW Oshkosh
Contact: Jaime Hunt
Associate Director of News and Public Information
Integrated Marketing and Communications
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
(920) 424-1398
UW Oshkosh's new state-of-the-art Student Recreation and Wellness Center opens
OSHKOSH, Wis. – On Sept. 21, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s first new building on campus since 1971 will celebrate its completion. The Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC) has been a dream of the students since 2001, a dream that the students funded through their segregated fees.
The $21-million, 104,000-square-foot SRWC features options for health and wellness, including a climbing wall, three basketball courts, free-weight theater, a multipurpose gym for soccer and floor hockey, a walking and jogging track, cardio center and a Cyber Café, which offers healthy food options.
“The students at UW Oshkosh invested in the future of their University,” Chancellor Richard H. Wells said. “This dynamic addition to UW Oshkosh will serve the campus community well in promoting healthy lifestyles and new recreation options.”
Not only will the facility provide students recreation and fitness equipment, it also provides sound testimony to growth on campus. Since 2000, the campus population has increased by 900 students, and UW Oshkosh’s growth is expected to swell another 12 percent in the next six years.
The grand opening ceremony will take place from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wells and other members of the community will speak at 4 p.m. for the ribbon cutting ceremony. The event is open to the public.
Other large-scale projects planned on campus to address growth include a new, $48-million academic building and an $8.5-million project for a Student Support and Development Center. Wells estimates that $225 million will have been spent on growth and capital improvements from 2000-2011 to meet campus needs.
“The Student Recreation and Wellness Center is an example of student vision,” said Petra Roter, vice chancellor of Student Affairs. “It created much-needed recreational space, was paid for by students, and was designed with student input every step of the way — all with students in mind.”
Tom Patt, the SRWC’s director, is pleased by the facility and what it offers the campus. “This is one of the finest recreation and wellness centers in the country, and students now have terrific opportunities for fitness and stress reduction as they navigate their increasingly busy collegiate life,” he said.
The ceremonial grand opening will showcase the facility and its offerings. The Cyber Café will offer health-conscious refreshments at the grand opening: vegetable trays, fruit trays, trail mix and a sampling of smoothies that will be for sale at the SRWC. There also will be narrated tours of the facility — including demonstrations of spinning, aerobics and martial arts. A student jazz combo will perform.
The grand opening of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center is part of UW Oshkosh’s Fall Fest on the Fox. The Fish Fry on the Fox will be held after the ceremony, and Dragon Boat races and other activities will take place on Sept. 22. For more information about Fall Fest, visit http://www.uwosh.edu/fallfest/2007site/campusevents.php.
Giveaway bags will be handed out at the grand opening. In addition, the event will include drawings for various items, including an iPod shuffle, University Books & More clothing items, and gift certificates for SRWC services such as golf simulators, babysitting services, Xpeditions items, an employee membership and food items from the Cyber Café.
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh has grown since its founding in 1871 to become the third-largest university in Wisconsin. With a fulltime enrollment of more than 12,400 (11,000 on campus) students, the university offers 73 associate, baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in the colleges of Business Administration, Education and Human Services, Letters and Science and Nursing. UW Oshkosh, an educational and cultural anchor that had a $501-million impact on the New North region in 2005-2006, serves as an economic engine for 1.2 million citizens of northeastern Wisconsin.
# # #
For more information or to set up an interview with Petra Roter or Tom Patt, contact Jaime Hunt at (920) 424-1398 or huntj@uwosh.edu.
