UW-Whitewater has been selected by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) to serve as one of 15 campuses across the country to pilot a new program. With a goal of promoting Greek system-University cooperation through rigorous self-regulation, this project promises to make a strong, positive impact on our Greek community and a better university enviromment.
The five targeted outcomes include:
- Development of positive interpersonal relationships
- Leadership development of students in Greek organizations
- The building/strengthening of social intelligence, citizenship, and service learning
- Graduation of its members
- Effective campus interface to and in support of the Greek community
More information to follow via campus news.
Sometimes I think Greek organizations are victims of negative stereotyping, so I’m glad to have a chance to give the image of the "frat boy" a new perspective. I just received notification that Tyler Verri, a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha chapter here at UW-Whitewater, has been named "Pike of the Month" by the national governance board for January 2007. The naming is in recognition of Tyler’s contributions to his chapter, his campus and the community. He will be featured in the fraternity’s national publication.
Thanks, Tyler, for leading by example.
As I listened to the excellent speaker at yesterday’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemorative Event, I was struck by one of his comments. He reminded us that our students are “on loan” to us from their communities. That is an important trust. There is an expected “return” on the investment in the form of strengthened communities and more prosperous families.
We are faithful to that trust when we meaningfully embrace the core values of UW-Whitewater:
v Commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
v Development of the individual.
v Personal and professional integrity.
v Commitment to serve.
v Commitment to develop a sense of community, respect for diversity, and global perspectives.
Our new strategic plan is built solidly around these values and we are seeing tangible outcomes for our efforts.
Many thanks to Richard McGregory and his planning committee for an inspiring afternoon.
Two new items worthy of praise for the College of Business & Economics have crossed my desk:
1. The Princeton Review named our CoBE as one of its "Best Value MBA Programs."
2. BusinessWeek’s 2007 rankings of best part-time MBA programs will list UW-W as one of its top ranked school when the publication comes out in November.
Chancellor Emeritus, Gaylon Greenhill, passed along an article from the January 8 Forbes Magazine. The subject was the 121-year-old Johnson Controls company and included the following mention of our school:
"The company started in the temperature-controls business in 1885, two years after its founder, Warren S. Johnson, a professor at the State Normal School in Whitewater, Wis., received a patent for the electric room thermostat. Over the next three decades he dabbled in a variety of new technologies –electric storage batteries, steam-and gas-powered automobiles and a wireless telegraph–but after his death in 1911 the company focused again on temperature controls."
Megan Shalbrack Essay
12/11/06
UW-Whitewater Application
My name is Megan Shalbrack and I would like to share with you the reasons I wish to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Over the last two years I have researched and had discussions with several teachers, business people, and family members about my future and as I probed, UW-Whitewater came up time and time again. I learned in my research of its standing as the top-ranked accounting program in the state. I also came to understand that the quality of a degree from this college is second to none. Those I spoke to convinced me that this type of background will open many doors.
Tim Shalbrack, my uncle, is a UW-Whitewater graduate. When I mentioned I was interested in it as a college, he was the first person to recommend the accounting program to me. Several of my teachers, including Mr. Priegel my English teacher, Mr. Brandt my marketing teacher, Mrs. Baron and Mrs. Blade my accounting teachers, were others who highly recommended Whitewater. They all commented that the accounting program is one of the nation’s best.
A second reason I am interested in a college education at UW-Whitewater is because it truly meets the needs of the students. I was amazed at the investment at the school, blend of new construction as well as the history on campus. The campus is growing substantially, yet it is not so expansive to make it hard to negotiate getting from one class to the next. Our tour guide, Andy, did a wonderful job illustrating this to our tour group. He was a member of the school’s accounting program, and he truly made us feel special and wanted. Statistically, I believe employers would be most likely to hire a candidate with a Whitewater accounting degree than from other colleges. As I see it, a degree from Whitewater gives students an advantage entering the competitive job market and a future based on the school’s history and reputation.
I would like to explain why I am a strong candidate for the accounting program. First, I have been exposed to both accounting and marketing in high school and have a strong math background. I hope to continue to incorporate my skills to an even greater degree over the remainder of my senior year in our high school DECA program. I also believe the structured five year accounting program ending in a master’s degree ideally meets my goals.
In closing, I would like to reiterate my strong desire to become a student at UW-Whitewater and join its outstanding accounting program. I have the skills and drive to excel in this demanding program and I will continue to contribute to the excellence that others have come to expect from the program. To that end, I ask for your support. Thank you.
In taking stock of our accomplishments over the past year, it might be useful to review how we stand vis-à-vis the UW System’s goals for achieving excellence. We are making good progress. For example:
- We are meeting our enrollment targets.
- We have increased access to the university through additional on-line courses.
- Graduation rates are up for multicultural students and the student body as a whole.
- We are first among the UW comprehensive universities ranking in graduation for students of color.
- Student involvement in planned out-of-classroom activities significantly exceeded national averages.
- We increased experiential learning participation in numbers of students.
- We increased numbers of proposals submitted for external funding and the amount awarded.
Sounds like a good start for a new year. More later.
