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Chancellor Addresses Campus at Spring Opening Meeting

Jan. 20, 2010—Chancellor Dean Van Galen welcomed faculty and staff back to campus yesterday at the spring semester opening meeting at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Van Galen began by noting the financial challenges faced by students, and the opportunity that UWRF provides them in a time of national economic downturn. “Over half of our undergraduate students are first generation college students, many from small town Wisconsin or Minnesota, and others from some of the more economically challenged urban areas of the Twin Cities,” said Van Galen. “We are their pathway to a bright future.”

He went on to announce several upcoming campus events and endeavors, including a student trip to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research this spring, an expansion of the first year learning community program, and a campus visit by Dr. George Kuh, Director of the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University, an expert in the field of high-impact educational practices.

Van Galen also revealed the development of a climate action plan as part of UWRF’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality, and the success of the recent Campus Climate Survey. He noted that UWRF had a response rate of 36 percent, more than any UW System institution from the first cohort of participants.

Interim Executive Director of the University Advancement and Interim President of the UW-River Falls Foundation Dan McGinty informed those assembled on the accomplishments of Foundation in the previous year, including a record $2.4 million in charitable donations, due in large part to the $1 million estate gift by the late Willis Miller.

McGinty also described the upcoming capital campaign, the first in Foundation’s history. Consulting group Bentz Whaley Flessner will assist Foundation as they prepare a readiness audit, scheduled to be finished in early March. McGinty noted that after the audit is completed, Foundation plans to engage campus leadership groups in discussion to discover the most important funding priorities for UWRF.

“The priorities need to be aligned with the University’s strategic plan,” said McGinty. “They must be donor-driven to ensure we have the donors to support our identified needs.”

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Fernando Delgado extended his congratulations to Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Terry Brown, as she as accepted the position of Provost at UW-Parkside. He announced that Associate Dean Brad Caskey will be stepping into the role of Interim Dean, a responsibility Caskey has undertaken previously.

Delgado also announced the upcoming visit of the Department of Public Instruction to the College of Education and Professional Studies. Delgado closed the meeting with a proud report of the Falcon women’s basketball team’s rousing record of 14-2, and their first place seat in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

About the University of Wisconsin-River Falls

UW-River Falls, ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of America’s Best Colleges (Midwestern University, Master’s category) and by the Princeton Review as “A Best in the Midwest” university, has more than 6,000 undergraduate students and nearly 500 graduate students. Its four colleges include Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education and Professional Studies, and Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

Photo caption: Interim Executive Director of the University Advancement and Interim President of the UW-River Falls Foundation Dan McGinty outlines the details
of UWRF’s highly-anticipated first-ever capital campaign to faculty and staff at the spring semester 2010 opening meeting. The capital campaign will kick off this spring with a readiness audit prepared in conjunction with Minneapolis-based consulting group Bentz Whaley Flessner. McGinty also updated the campus on the progress made the previous year, including an announcement that 2009 was a record-breaking year for Foundation with donations totaling $2.4 million.

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Last updated: Thursday, 22-Apr-2010 16:09:58 CDT