Note from the Director

A Message from the Director…  

Hello and welcome to University Centers!

It is hard to believe that I am beginning my sixth year at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Since joining the UWL community in March 2021, I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand what makes this university such a special place—and year after year, I come back to one thing: our people.

The energy, passion, creativity, and dedication of our students, faculty, staff, and student employees are what bring this campus to life. University Centers is fortunate to be at the heart of so much of that activity. Whether gathering for an event, grabbing a meal, meeting with a student organization, attending a program, studying between classes, or simply spending time with friends, the spaces and experiences we create are an important part of the UWL student experience.

I am incredibly proud of what the University Centers team accomplished during the 2025-2026 academic year. With the support of our campus and community partners, we celebrated several significant milestones, including:

• Welcoming more than 6,000 students, faculty, staff, and community members to the fifth annual Eagle Fest, featuring more than 115 student organizations and UWL departments
• Welcoming more than one million visitors to the Student Union for the first time in our history
• Serving more than one million meals through our Dining Services operation
• Completing the Student Union Directional Signage Project, making it easier for our community to navigate and experience the building
• Connecting 98.6% of new first-year students, 90.4% of second-year students, and 74.6% of transfer students with at least one activity, program, or service during the first six weeks of the fall semester

While these numbers represent important accomplishments, they tell only part of the story. Behind every number is a student who found a place to belong, an organization that found a space to gather, a meal shared with friends, a campus tradition created, or a connection made. That is the impact of University Centers.

Looking ahead to 2026-2027, we are focused on continuing to strengthen the experiences and environments we provide for our campus community. We will be working to enhance the effectiveness and visibility of the Student Union, strengthen collaboration and communication within University Centers, better support our student employees and supervisors, and engage our team in defining the mission, vision, guiding principles, and strategic priorities that will shape our work in the years ahead.

Most importantly, University Centers will continue to be a place where people feel welcome, connected, and part of something bigger. The spaces we steward are more than buildings-they are places where our campus community comes together to learn, collaborate, celebrate, and create memories that last well beyond a student's time at UWL.

Whether you are a student looking for your next opportunity to get involved, a faculty or staff member looking for a place to connect with colleagues, or a visitor experiencing UWL for the first time, we hope you will make University Centers part of your UWL experience.

Thank you for being part of our community. I hope to see you in “The U” very soon.

Until then, talons up!

Kyle E. Burke

Director, University Centers and Student Engagement