Posted 2:07 p.m. Thursday, May 19, 2011
The UW-La Crosse Student Association presented UW System Regent Brent Smith with the Higher Education Advocate of the Year Award on May 5.
[caption id="attachment_3025" align="alignleft" width="167" caption="UW Regent Brent Smith"]
[/caption]The UW-La Crosse Student Association presented UW System Regent Brent Smith with the Higher Education Advocate of the Year Award on May 5, the last student senate meeting of the academic year.
For the last three years the UW-L Student Association has awarded an Advocate of the Year to someone who has shown an outstanding commitment to higher education and specifically to UW-L.
“With the budgetary issue we’ve been facing this year and all the hurdles for UW System, Brent has worked incredibly hard to support the interests of UW-L students and UW System in general,” said Melissa Ruplinger, recent UW-L graduate and former vice president of the Student Association.
Smith frequently attends campus events and advocated for Growth, Quality and Access, a growth plan for UW-L, which was approved in December 2007.
Smith has served as a UW System Regent for seven years and served eight years on the Wisconsin Technical College Board. He also serves on the Viterbo University Board of Advisors and the UW-L Chancellor’s Community Council.
Smith says the driving force behind his higher education involvement is the benefit he sees of higher education in the community — whether economic or through arts and culture.
“There are so many ways that higher education impacts our lives and our community,” he explains. “I also see that direct connection between those who are a part of higher education and those who become involved in the community in so many ways.”
Past recipients of the Higher Education Advocate of the Year award include La Crosse Tribune Publisher Rusty Cunningham and Rep. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse.
[/caption]The UW-La Crosse Student Association presented UW System Regent Brent Smith with the Higher Education Advocate of the Year Award on May 5, the last student senate meeting of the academic year.
For the last three years the UW-L Student Association has awarded an Advocate of the Year to someone who has shown an outstanding commitment to higher education and specifically to UW-L.
“With the budgetary issue we’ve been facing this year and all the hurdles for UW System, Brent has worked incredibly hard to support the interests of UW-L students and UW System in general,” said Melissa Ruplinger, recent UW-L graduate and former vice president of the Student Association.
Smith frequently attends campus events and advocated for Growth, Quality and Access, a growth plan for UW-L, which was approved in December 2007.
Smith has served as a UW System Regent for seven years and served eight years on the Wisconsin Technical College Board. He also serves on the Viterbo University Board of Advisors and the UW-L Chancellor’s Community Council.
Smith says the driving force behind his higher education involvement is the benefit he sees of higher education in the community — whether economic or through arts and culture.
“There are so many ways that higher education impacts our lives and our community,” he explains. “I also see that direct connection between those who are a part of higher education and those who become involved in the community in so many ways.”
Past recipients of the Higher Education Advocate of the Year award include La Crosse Tribune Publisher Rusty Cunningham and Rep. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse.