Academic Affairs

Community Engagement
***Strategic Plan Priority - Increasing Community Engagement*** 

UWL values civic engagement and a commitment to the Wisconsin Idea, in which our socially responsible campus serves as a resource for our increasingly interconnected local, state, and global communities, collaborating and sharing resources and expertise to improve the human condition.

Community Portal

The purpose of the community partnership portal is to foster learning and research collaborations in and out of the classroom while building stronger relationships between UWL and community partners.   

Community-UWL Partnerships

• Center On Disability Health and Adapted Physical Activity
• Center for Grief and Death Education
• Continuing Education and Extension
• The Institute for Latina/o and Latin American Studies (ILLAS)
• La Crosse Exercise and Health
• La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium
• Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center
• River Studies Center
• Small Business Development Center
• Tourism Research Institute 

Service Learning

Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction. Service-learning engages students in a three-part process: classroom preparation through explanation and analysis of theories and ideas; service activity that emerges from and informs classroom context; and structured reflection tying service experience back to specific learning goals (Jeavons, 1995).   

	Students	Faculty/Instructors	Community Partners	Society
Outcomes	real people, real situations and real consequences	application of theory and content by students enhances learning	a positive and productive relationship with the university's faculty and students	promoting civic engagement
Resources	Speak to your faculty about community-based opportunities Center for Organizations, Vision, and Engagement Career Services	National Service - Learning Clearinghouse UWL Center for the Advancing Teaching and Learning (CATL)	Ugetconnected Career Services Community Portal	Association of American Colleges & Universities - Civic Learning Materials

Wisconsin Campus Compact - a coalition of Wisconsin colleges and universities dedicated to promoting community service, civic engagement, and service-learning.

Every Fall, on or near Constitution Day, and in honor of the founders of the USA, UWL hosts a Constitution Day exhibit in the Murphy Library.  An online resource guide on the U.S. Constitution and Constitution Day is also available.  Click here for more information.

Purpose, Charge, Assumptions and Membership

Adopted 10.28.15

Purpose

The purpose of the Enrollment Management Council (EMC) is to develop a strategic enrollment management plan that considers how changes in total and compositional student enrollment will affect all areas of the institution, including academic affairs, student affairs, auxiliaries, and overall budget. Because student enrollment affects the entire university, managing enrollments from application to graduation requires involvement across all facets of the institution. EMC also advises Joint Planning & Budget of enrollment targets and possible financial effects. This committee should meet at least once each semester.

Ongoing Committee Charge

1. Review and establish enrollment targets for incoming new students to UWL for the fall term of each year. This target will be set by September 1 of the prior year.

2. Review and establish enrollment targets for incoming new students to UWL for the spring term of each year. This target will be set by September 1 of the prior year.

3. Review campus activities for better understanding of programs, efforts, and student populations that contribute to overall enrollment at the institution.

4. Review student success metrics related to retention and graduation rates of students at the university.

SPECIFIC CHARGE 2015-16 SCHOOL YEAR

1. Create a repository of current retention efforts taking place at the institution. Review in late spring 2016. (Michelle Sturm of Academic Advising Center is point person for this effort.)

2. Review sample enrollment management plans from other institutions to better understand structure and scope of these plans. (Spring 2016)

2016-17 PLANNED EFFORTS

1. Discuss options other than point of entry to the university for managing enrollments in specific departments at UWL (goal for 2016-17 year).

Members of the EMC

Director of Admissions (or designee)

Director of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning (or designee)

First-Year Experience Coordinator (or designee)

Associate Dean of Diversity & Inclusion (or designee)

Dean, College of Science & Health (or designee)

Dean, College of Business Administration (or designee)

Dean, College of Liberal Studies (or designee)

Dean, School of Education (or designee)

Registrar (or designee)

Director of Academic Advising & Career Services (or designee)

Director of Financial Aid (or designee)

Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (or designee)

Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance (or designee)

Director of Graduate Studies (or designee)

Chair of Faculty Senate (or designee)

Director of International Education & Engagement (or designee)

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (or designee)

Director of Residence Life (or designee)

Director of Continuing Education (or designee)

Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (or designee)

Executive Director, Alumni Association (or designee) (added 8/2016)

Executive Committee Membership and Charge

CHARGE: Meet to determine the agenda for the EMC including preliminary recommendations on key targets and benchmarks. Bring in other members of campus community as needed for discussions at EMC.

Director of Admissions (or designee)

Director of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning (or designee)

First-Year Experience Coordinator (or designee)

Associate Dean of Diversity & Inclusion (or designee)

Growth, Quality, and Access (GQA)

Academic Affairs encourages leadership development within units and departments. Interested individuals are encouraged to speak to their supervisors about opportunities and training. Supervisors are encouraged to provide professional development opportunities for staff and faculty in the realm of leadership.

Academic staff members may be able to secure funding through Academic Staff Council’s Professional Development Program.

Staff and faculty new to leadership roles are encouraged to utilize the resources of Human Resources - especially their Employee Relations Specialist in terms of aspects of supervising and job training.

Many professional organizations have leadership development programs and individuals may find these programs the most applicable to their work lives.  Below additional examples of programs are provided.

 

Leadership Development Grants (UWL)

Individuals who wish to pursue leadership development outside of their home units or departments may contact the Provost’s Office with a specific proposal for obtaining training or development that does not require supervisor approval.  Proposals cannot exceed $1000 and will be limited to no more than 3 per year (first come first served).

 

Re-Imagining the First Year (RFY) is a AACSU project aimed at ensuring success for all students, particularly those who have historically been underserved by higher education: low income, first generation, and students of color. UWL is one of a coalition of 44 member institutions that will work together for three calendar years (2016-2018) to develop comprehensive, institutional transformation that redesigns the first year of college and creates sustainable change for student success.  The leadership team for UWL including iProvost Betsy Morgan and Tim Dale (team leaders) and Jennie Hartzheim, James Peirce, Natalie Solverson, and Antoiwana Williams have generated preliminary goals and strategies.

UWL Gateway Course List
Gateway courses are traditionally high enrollment and foundational in nature for additional coursework or majors.  

Prefix & Number	Course Name/Description
BIO105	General Biology
CHM103	General Chemistry I
CST110	Communicating Effectively
ENG110	College Writing I
HIS101/102	Global Origins of the Modern World/Global Transition & Change
MTH145	Elementary Statistics
MTH150	College Algebra
PSY 100	General Psychology

ECO110&120 are also considered gateway courses at UWL for many purposes but not for RFY data.

UWL is part of the National Council for States Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA). 

More information on authorizations may be found here.

Important Notice to Students Regarding Professional Licensure: If you are considering an online academic program that leads to a professional license, it is highly recommended you contact the appropriate licensing agency where you plan to receive instruction before beginning your academic program. SARA does not provide reciprocity for state professional licensing requirements.  Academic programs and individual graduates must meet standards set by that state’s licensure requirements in order for a graduate to be eligible for a license.

TEDx: In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxUWLaCrosse, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.

Strategic Planning UWL Overview