I want to thank everyone at UW-Oshkosh community who continues to move us toward the realization of the strong, sustainable UWO 2.0 we have envisioned and worked hard to achieve for more than a year.

Today, I’ll share a couple of thoughts and updates as the conclusion of the semester draws near.

Commencement at our doorstep

Midyear Commencement is about a week away. We will recognize more than 800 graduates. And as we celebrate one class’s next chapter, we keep a strong focus on continuing students’ steps toward their own graduations. So, two requests…

• Do everything you can to continue encouraging students to get registered for spring 2025 classes. We set out to hit a goal of 93 percent registration by the holiday break. We are just about there, but we can’t let up. Strong spring registration is the biggest steppingstone to strong, fall 2025 enrollment. Thanks in advance for everything you do to retain our students.
• I hope you will consider joining us for Commencement on Saturday, Dec. 14. Seeing students and families celebrate their milestones in Kolf Sports Center is always a joyful reminder that what we do at UWO produces results that become unforgettable and inseparable parts of thousands of success stories. Here’s where to RSVP to participate or volunteer if you are a faculty or staff member: https://www.uwosh.edu/commencement/faculty-and-staff/.

Two deserving Universities of Wisconsin honors… 

Congratulations to Maria Graf, assistant professor in the UWO College of Nursing, who was recognized as a 2024 Outstanding Woman of Color in Education honoree, and Carmen Hetzel, former UWO program adviser for student organization and leadership programs, who was recognized with a 2024 Dr. P.B. Poorman Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ people.

Universities of Wisconsin celebrated both honorees this week as part of the Board of Regents meetings in Madison. Dr. Graf and Carmen were among others nominated by universities throughout the state. You can read more about their and others’ contributions here. 

 

 

Energy conservation is already a success; more savings to come

In July, we announced our renewed, more surgical efforts to reap some savings through energy conservation. Through smarter, better-timed lighting, cooling and heating of buildings—sensitive to Oshkosh campus scheduling and occupancy—we set out to save hundreds of thousands of dollars through this academic year.

So far, so good.

As we announced at Leadership Council a few weeks ago, we have saved nearly $280,000 since July. Due to a shift a few years ago in how universities manage energy budgets, UWO is able to now retain the savings it realizes after its budget is allocated. Thank you to everyone doing the “small” but critical things, such as powering down projectors and turning off lights in empty rooms, to advance our efforts. Keep it up. We have a plan for the next several weeks to keep the results coming.

We call it “Operation: Conservation.” Many of you already learned about the plan. It’s a pilot program, and you can see the details in a presentation we made to Leadership Council earlier this semester here (Scroll down on the Institutional Realignment Plan page).

In two phases, from December 19 through January 5 and January 6 through January 26, we aim to continue calibrating Oshkosh campus building temperatures and “on-off” timings. Given the holidays and the traditional low occupancy of the campus over that time frame, we are confident we can continue to save money. And, just as importantly, we can continue to test a conservation model that can meaningfully propel UWO toward its 2030 carbon neutrality goal—a challenging goal, to be sure, but one worth pursuing.

Operation: Conservation is no edict to vacate the campus. Rather, we ask offices, departments and teams to thoughtfully develop work plans that balance in-person service expectations with remote work flexibilities, respectful of our commitments to best serve students and members of the public on campus.

Human Resources and Information Technology teams are at the ready to field questions and help us support the program.

Updates ahead on our work toward UWO 2.0… and some perfect examples of what getting students ‘one step ahead’ means

I hope everyone enjoys time with family and friends and has opportunities to rest and recharge over the forthcoming break.

In February, after another couple of months progress in our multifaceted work toward UWO 2.0, Provost Martini and I will host town halls to update the university community on the latest results from our efforts. Meanwhile, we continue to meet consistently with Shared Governance groups and leaders, and we appreciate those opportunities to share updates, answer questions and get valuable feedback.

Lastly, I was struck by a streak of stories over the last month or two that, in my book, perfectly capture what we mean when we say UWO helps students get one step ahead.

These are also odes to experiential learning. I thank the students and faculty and staff members whose service, collaboration, creativity and dedication brought these successes to life.

Please share away:

• The evidence of success: UWO graduating senior pursuing forensic anthropology career
• A UWO Titan saw family, friends struggle with noise. His award-winning solution is becoming a business before graduation
• E-fraud is no joke. UWO student helping sheriff track troubling data, alert community
• UWO algal blooms research connects with more than 2,000 stakeholders, shapes education effort
• Buzz building for UWO student’s film exploring human connection and kindness
• UWO student summer scientists mark 20+ years of keeping WI tourist waters safe

 

Chancellor Andy Leavitt