UW-La Crosse Strategic Plan
Sustaining Excellence
The UWL Strategic plan is comprised of four pillars which focus on students, community and employees. The original planning process took place in 2016 and the pillars continue to be endorsed by shared governance. These campus priorities serve to guide our goals and actions steps. Learn more about our latest activities in each of the four pillars.
Increasing community engagement
UWL embraces community engagement as a key component to our teaching, scholarly, & service mission.
Increasing community engagement
Goals
- Initiate strategies that create and promote increased opportunities for students’ community engagement that are academically grounded.
- Measure, assess and create accountability structure for community engagement across UWL.
- Market mutually beneficial relationships between UWL and private/public organizations in the greater La Crosse community, state, region, and globally; in particular, focus on the importance of public/community engagement in advancing UWL’s mission centered on the value of a Liberal Arts education.
- Integrate community engagement into UWL policies and procedures.
- Secure funding to support continued community engagement.
Metrics:
Increase participation in internships/clinical/field experiences by UWL Students to 62% of graduating seniors by fall 2023.
61% of UWL Seniors reported participation in internships/clinical/field experiences on the 2023 NSSE survey.
- 2011, 53%
- 2014, 60%
- 2017, 62%
- 2020, 57%
- 2023, 61%
- 62%
The goal of UWL Community Engagement is to return student participation to pre-COVID-19 pandemic numbers.
Expand number of partnerships reported on the UW System Partnership Collection.
Data Reporting changed to counting number of students active in 4 areas: Co-op/Internship, Clinical/Legal/Social Work placements, Student Teachers, and Service-learning/Community-Based Research/Volunteering and monitoring over the calendar year. In 2021, 5,636 students participated in these activities. In 2022, 5,290 students participated in these activities.
Increase number of projects in progress or completed through the UWL Community Idea Exchange (formerly known as the Project Opportunities Board).
- Eleven projects were listed in FY 2023. One has been assigned, none have been completed, 8 have been removed, with 5 projects open for selection. The Community Engagement Coordinator has moved away from adding a large number of projects to the Idea Exchange in an effort to reduce the number of unmatched projects. The Community Engagement Coordinator's goal is to have a minimum of 10 projects on the board at all times, and also match community project ideas with faculty in real-time.
Increase number of student hours reported for volunteering in the community annually. In the 21-22 End of Year Report for University Centers, we have 10,409 volunteer hours from MyOrgs/UGetConnected reports. This represents an increase of over 5,000 hours from the previous year.
- 2019-20, 9475
- 2020-21, 5043
- 2021-22, 10409
- -
Actions Completed 2022-2023
In spring 2022, the new UWL Community Engagement Ambassadors group was formed. This group of UWL employees have volunteered to help promote the university at community events throughout the year.
In July 2022, UWL was selected to receive the 2022 AASCU Excellence and Innovation Award for Civic Learning and Community Engagement. The Community Engaged Learning program was selected by the awards committee for its outstanding results and potential to influence and serve as a model for other institutions. Here’s a link to the courses that have received a CEL designation.
In August 2022, the Community Engagement Coordinator worked in collaboration with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CATL) to host a workshop on the Community Engaged Learning program as part of CATL’s Kickstart event.
In September 2022, the Community Engagement exhibit display kit was established. UWL employees are invited to reserve this free display kit to use any time they are presenting or hosting an event in the community.
In December 2022, the first UWL Community Engagement Newsletter was distributed. The quarterly newsletter is intended to highlight three community-focused stories and promote upcoming UWL events that are open to the public. Anyone in the community is invited to opt-in.
The UWL Community Engaged Learning (CEL) program continues to grow. You can find a current list of courses with CEL designations here.
In January 2023, the Community Engagement Coordinator partnered with University Centers and IRAP to start marketing UGetConnected as a university-wide community service data tracking tool for both UWL employees and students.
In April 2023, the new “Introduction to Community Engagement” Canvas module was adapted for use at UWL from a course developed at the Morgridge Center for Public Service at UW-Madison.
Achieving excellence through equity & diversity
UWL is committed to being an equitable & welcoming community to maintain our status as a high quality & competitive university.
Achieving excellence through equity & diversity
Goals
- Achieve demographic equity in access and retention for students, staff, faculty, and administrators. Equity liaison initiative
- Provide fully inclusive educational experiences for all students.
- Ensure that all employees are engaged in creating a dynamic and welcoming campus community.
- Make UWL's Equity & Diversity efforts highly visible and coordinated across campus.
Metrics:
Reduce gaps in first-to-second year retention between not-first-generation and first-generation students. The current retention rate of not-first-generation students is 88%. The most recent retention rates of first-generation students:
- 2015, 85%
- 2016, 78%
- 2017, 83%
- 2018, 77%
- 2019, 82%
- 2020, 80%
- 2021, 80%
- 2022, 83%
- 88%
Reduce gaps in first-to-second year retention between not Pell eligible students and Pell eligible students. The current retention rate of not Pell eligible students is 86%. The most recent retention rates of Pell eligible students:
- 2015, 83%
- 2016, 80%
- 2017, 84%
- 2018, 78%
- 2019, 82%
- 2020, 79%
- 2021, 76%
- 2022, 82%
- 86%
Reduce gaps in first-to-second year retention between students of color (SOC) and those who are not. The current retention rate of non-SOC students is 86%. The most recent retention rates of students of color:
- 2015, 79%
- 2016, 78%
- 2017, 77%
- 2018, 82%
- 2019, 83%
- 2020, 79%
- 2021, 76%
- 2022, 77%
- 86%
Increase UWL’s compositional diversity of faculty and academic staff. Monitor to ensure it meets or exceeds the median value of the UW Comprehensives (12.1% in 2022, excluding UWL) overall as well as across employment categories.
- 2015, 10.9%
- 2016, 9.8%
- 2017, 9.5%
- 2018, 10.1%
- 2019, 11.8%
- 2020, 11.6%
- 2021, 10.5%
- 2022, 10.7%
- 12.1%
UWL has an overrepresentation of persons of color among our “unskilled” staff (per 2017 Affirmative Action report). The intent of this metric is to review compositional diversity not just overall, but across various job categories, similar to how we monitor achievement gaps of students.
Increase UWL’s compositional diversity of the student body, both undergraduate and graduate. Monitor to ensure it meets or exceeds the median value of the UW Comprehensives (11.9% in 2022, excluding UWL).
- 2015, 8.7%
- 2016, 9.3%
- 2017, 9%
- 2018, 9.5%
- 2019, 10.2%
- 2020, 10.2%
- 2021, 10.2%
- 2022, 10.1%
- 11.9%
Actions Completed 2023-2024
- Fostering Success for Independent Scholars, Eagle Mentoring Program, Hekima Scholars, UWL First! Scholars, Multicultural Validation Program, First Year Research Experience provided scholarships to students in these programs. OMSS earned a Fresh Water Collaborative Grant to increase the numbers of pre-college programs at UWL.
- Inclusive Teaching Program provided feedback and assistance to Equity Liaison Reports delivered in 2022-2023. This feedback was used to improve goals and action steps for units in 2023-2024.
- The entire Division of Diversity & Inclusion completed a Restorative Justice Training and uses the model in its work.
- DEI Faculty Fellow position description was updated, and each UWL College and School (CASS, CSH, CBA, and SOE) have a dedicated faculty or staff member filling the role. These positions coordinate DEI work within their college/school, as well as serve as liaisons with UWL D&I Division.
- Counseling and Testing Center and Athletics have staff representatives that serve as liaisons with D & I to coordinate DEI work in their areas across D & I units.
- For the second year in a row, the Center for Transformative Justice partnered with New Student Orientation and Residence Life to deliver a free speech, inclusivity, and civil discourse training to all in-coming freshman and transfer students at UWL.
- The Division of Diversity & Inclusion partnered with UCOMM and other campus partners to host lunchtime speakers for “UWL Celebrates . . .” Months. Each speaker focused on their personal experiences to educate and celebrate each month.
- Full-time Youth Protections Coordinator was hired in D & I to coordinate all processes associated with campus youth programs and ensure that all federal, state, and local policies and laws are fully followed.
- The Center for Transformative Justice, New Student Orientation, Residence Life, and the Center for Teaching and Learning collaborated with The Discussion Project to deliver a 3-day intensive training on civil discourse and dialogue frameworks to be applied to new student orientation, as well as across campus in classrooms, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities.
- The Access Center and UCOMM created an “Committed to Accessibility” badge for faculty and staff who collaborate and coordinate with the Access Center and have been awarded the status by the Access Center.
- The Division of Diversity and Inclusion created the Patch Works Newsletter and Monthly communications highlighting all campus and D & I division programs and events focusing on DEI topics. D & I also collaborated with CATL to highlight and cross-promote Inclusive Teaching events and D & I events.
Investing in our people
UWL recognizes that our status as a high quality and competitive university depends on our faculty and staff.
Investing in our people
Goals
- Prioritize employee compensation.
- Promote an environment of employee inclusion, ownership and engagement.
- Create clear and consistent assessment and accountability policies for all employees.
Metrics:
Work toward achieving 92% of external market parity compensation across all employee classifications.
The next position and salary review is scheduled for the fall of 2024. You may view the most recent (FY20) CUPA salary review here.
Faculty
- 2016, 89%
- 2017, 89%
- 2018, 87%
- 2019, 88%
- 2020, 88%
- 92%
Instructional Academic Staff
- 2016, 97%
- 2017, 97%
- 2018, 94%
- 2019, 93%
- 2020, 97%
- 92%
Non-instructional Academic Staff
- 2016, 100%
- 2017, 99%
- 2018, 95%
- 2019, 95%
- 2020, 95%
- 92%
This is an aspirational goal for UWL. External market parity is CUPA for Faculty, IAS, and matched NIAS positions. Other sources, such as UW System match are used when CUPA data is unavailable. There are no CUPA comparison groups for non-academic titles. In November 2022, the University of Wisconsin implemented the Title and Total Compensation Project to modernize UW's title, pay, and benefits programs. Also as part of our commitment to Sustaining Excellence and the focus on Investing in Our People, UWL has distributed lump sum payments to eligible staff over the last several years. View Lump Sum Payment Allocations to University Staff FY23.
Monitor expenditure of Educational Assistance benefit funds each year across employee classifications.
Educational Assistance Benefit paid out to UWL employees
The annual budget for Educational Assistance is $85,000 (the program began in January 2018). Unspent funds carry over into the next year.
2022-23: $64,070
Number of requests made in 2021-22: 44
2021-22: $62,864
Number of requests made in in 2021-22: 44
2020-21: $92,855
Number of requests made in in 2020-21: 52
2019-20: $92,130
Number of requests made in in 2019-20: 67
2018-19: $86,408
2017-18: $15,081
Sustain high levels of employee engagement as reported on Employee Engagement Survey. View the current levels of engagement report.
90%
Positive engagement
Fall 2022
Actions Completed 2023-2024
- The university implemented a 1% one-time merit pay award to employees in Fiscal Year 2024 for retention purposes as well as to recognize the work and contributions of faculty and staff. The cost of the lump-sum payment was $750,029.
- Salary market adjustments amounting to $116,212 were allocated for base salary increases to administrative assistant staff; $44,928 for custodial staff; and $79,045 to increase graduate assistant stipends.
- The university participated in the “Great Colleges to Work For” survey. The national survey is designed to recognize institutions that have demonstrated workplace excellence and created a great workplace environment for employees.
- Employees continue to identify areas in which the university can enhance their working experience. The Human Resources Advisory Committee collaborates regularly with campus shared governance on implementing ways in which the university can enhance the employee experience.
Advancing transformational education
High-impact teaching & learning opportunities that are proven to aid student success across diverse backgrounds.
Advancing transformational education
Goals
- Increase the opportunities for students to engage in high-impact practices by graduation.
- Monitor persistence and retention rates with the goal of improvement.
- Expand international/global learning opportunities for all students.
- Enhance graduate education.
- Increase opportunities for cross-disciplinary teaching and learning.
- Evaluate and revise the General Education program.
Metrics:
Increase retention of first-year students to 90%.
- 2014, 85%
- 2015, 86%
- 2016, 83%
- 2017, 86%
- 2018, 84%
- 2019, 86%
- 2020, 84%
- 2021, 84%
- 2022, 87%
- 90%
Increase retention of transfer students to 80%.
- 2014, 81%
- 2015, 77%
- 2016, 76%
- 2017, 77%
- 2018, 80%
- 2019, 82%
- 2020, 81%
- 2021, 78%
- 2022, 82%
- 80%
Expand participation in first-year seminar to 100% of new first-year students and selected transfer students. Beginning 2020-21, FYS 100 was required for ALL new first-year students and selected transfer students.
Increase the number of UWL students graduating with an education abroad experience to 23%. Study abroad was curtailed due to COVID-19 during the academic years when the 2023 seniors would have been most likely to study abroad.
- 2014, 23%
- 2017, 19%
- 2020, 19%
- 2023, 9%
- 23%
Increase graduate enrollment to 1,000 students.
- 2015, 758
- 2016, 818
- 2017, 818
- 2018, 867
- 2019, 963
- 2020, 979
- 2021, 935
- 2022, 927
- 2023, 921
- 1000
Actions Completed 2022-2023
Appointment scheduling in Navigate has been expanded to include the Financial Aid office, Scholarship Resource Center, Office of Multicultural Student Services, and the Murphy Learning Center. Our PRO@UWL early alert participation rates reached 95.8% of the Gateway+ instructors. This gave us a 99.4% knowledge rate of students that may be struggling in those important courses. Through the Master Advisor Certification program, we have continued to grow the number of faculty advisors utilizing the Navigate platform for their advising work with students.
In Fall 2022, Tim Dale began a three-year term as General Education Coordinator where he is providing leadership on General Education initiatives. The General Education Committee and Faculty Senate approved the Gen Ed Working Group's revision of the General Education program in March/April 2023. The Gen Ed revision includes new descriptions for each of the required categories and sets the stage for writing learning outcomes and assigning courses to categories. The new program structure will begin with the Fall 2025 new student cohort.
Impactful changes to the General Education program include the addition of a "Global Experience" requirement which will prepare students to become responsible global citizens and thrive in an increasingly connected world. The revised program also includes a "Planet that Sustains Us" requirement where students will learn about environmental issues by exploring the scientific, ethical, and cross-cultural context of the complex interactions between society and the natural world.
The General Education Assessment Committee is developing fully online, self-paced training for instructors via Canvas, focused on five VALUE rubrics: Critical Thinking, Global Learning, Inquiry & Analysis, Intercultural Knowledge & Competence, and Written Communication. The committee has also revised the assessment plan process in Canvas and is working with the General Education Committee to use VALUE rubrics for assessing the General Education program.
UWL International Education and Engagement has been progressing back to pre-pandemic levels of campus programming, education abroad enrollment, international student recruitment, and efforts to better internationalize the university curriculum. One such effort includes identifying and creating defined pathways for science and health science students to study abroad. These pathways will allow for easier transferability of required credits from UWL's international partner institutions, therefore, developing more education abroad awareness across the College of Science & Health.
Graduate stakeholders worked in many contexts to move forward on action items identified in the 2021 UWL strategic plan for graduate education. Graduate Assistant salaries were raised by close to $3,000 for a 50% school-year position, effective FY24. IRAP completed development of a new dashboard providing easy access to data on graduate student demographics. The data provide important insights for programs and the institution. Subcommittees of the Graduate Council worked on projects related to the strategic plan, including surveys to gather information related to student recruiting and retention and graduate faculty workload. Finally, the Credit for Prior Learning policy revision created new pathways for programs to grant graduate credit to incoming students with relevant experience beyond transcripted courses.
About
Mission
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse provides a challenging, dynamic, and diverse learning environment in which the entire university community is fully engaged in supporting student success. Grounded in the liberal arts, UWL fosters curiosity and life-long learning through collaboration, innovation, and the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge. Acknowledging and respecting the contributions of all, UWL is a regional academic and cultural center that
prepares students to take their place in a constantly changing world community. The university offers undergraduate programs and degrees in the arts and humanities, health and sciences, education, and business administration. The university offers graduate programs related to areas of emphasis and strength within the institution, including business administration, education, health, the sciences, and the social sciences.
Vision
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse aims to foster within each student the curiosity, creativity, and tenacity necessary to solve the regional, national, and international challenges of the 21st century. The university's official motto mens corpusque ("mind and body") will continue to guide our direction as a student-centered university committed to a quality education for the whole person. As such, it will continue to provide opportunities both inside and outside the classroom for the development of sound mental, emotional, and ethical skills, as well as general well-being. Our students, faculty, and staff will experience the world through constantly evolving technologies and cultures. Thus, the skills of effective communication, critical thought, leadership, and an appreciation for diversity must be the hallmarks of a UWL education.
Values
Fassett Cotton, our institution's first leader, serving from 1909-1924, conceived the original University of Wisconsin-La Crosse educational philosophy of the total development of the individual. Later, history professor and Dean of the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences, William M. Laux (1922-1967), suggested the symbols of our official university seal along with the accompanying Latin phrase, mens corpusque ("mind and body"), to exemplify our collective commitment to a high quality education for the whole person.
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse values:
- The mens corpusque educational philosophy that recognizes each student as a whole person and aspires to enhance both mind and body through the noble search for knowledge, truth, and meaning central to a wide range of high quality learning experiences and scholarly pursuits.
- Diversity, equity, and the inclusion and engagement of all people in a safe campus climate that embraces and respects the innumerable different perspectives found within an increasingly integrated and culturally diverse global community.
- A high quality of life and work balance, incorporating best practices for shared governance and the acquisition and efficient management of resources, equitable compensation, general wellness, and social, environmental, and economic sustainability.
- Civic engagement and a renewed commitment to the Wisconsin Idea, in which our socially responsible campus serves as a resource for our increasingly intertwined local, state, and global communities, collaborating and sharing resources and expertise to improve the human condition.