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Location of New UW-River Falls Hudson Center Announced

Aug. 19, 2010--News of a satellite location of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in the city of Hudson has been discussed by many in recent months. One fact remained secret until now: the eagerly awaited location.

Opening in fall 2010, the UW-River Falls Hudson Center will be located in the Carley Ponds office building at 2501 Hanley Rd., and will include three technology-enabled classrooms and meeting spaces to serve a range of educational and community needs. Co-tenants of the building include Eagle Valley Bank, Midwest Psychological Services and StarTech Computing.

Located just a short distance south of Interstate 94, the Hudson Center provides a convenient location for local residents and the approximately 80,000 residents of Wisconsin and Minnesota who travel the highway through Hudson daily.

Blake Fry, special assistant to the chancellor, led the team charged with identifying a location for the Hudson Center. Fry will continue to provide administrative oversight of the Hudson Center during its inaugural semester.

“The selected location provides the ideal combination of interstate access, adequate parking, proximity to amenities and appropriate adult learning environments,” says Fry.

The UW-River Falls Hudson Center will serve the St. Croix Valley with a focus on undergraduate courses for non-traditional and working adults seeking to complete a baccalaureate degree, or enroll in select graduate and certificate programs.

“We are excited about establishing a facility to serve the St. Croix Valley in new ways, and to further strengthen our partnerships with the community,” Chancellor Dean Van Galen says.

Educational offerings at the Hudson Center in this include the business administration bachelor's degree completion program, the master's in business administration program and two master’s in secondary education shared inquiry cohorts. Additional undergraduate courses and certification programs will be offered.

Exploration of future educational offerings at the Hudson Center will continue with regional educational partners including the Hudson School District.

"UW-River Falls and the Hudson School District are partnering to provide new, engaging learning opportunities for Hudson High School students through the center," says Mary Bowen-Eggebraaten, district supervisor.

Dan Tjornehoj, Hudson School District Board of Education president, adds, “The district has a history of developing partnerships to better serve the learning needs of our students. This new partnership with UW-River Falls aligns well with the district’s long-range strategic plan. The UW-River Falls Hudson Center is a logical partnership in preparing Hudson graduates for post-secondary success and providing them with opportunities to expand their 21st century learning skills.”

The Hudson Center will also support the University of Wisconsin System’s 'More Graduates for Wisconsin' initiative, and the UW System provided initial funding for the project.

“As part of the UW System’s Growth Agenda for Wisconsin, we’re asking campuses to serve more students in new and creative ways, with a goal of stimulating a more vibrant state economy. The Hudson Center is a great example of how UW-River Falls is embracing this challenge and improving the university’s service to the entire region. I applaud Chancellor Van Galen and his team for their leadership and forward thinking,” says UW System President Kevin Reilly.

A grand opening for the UWRF Hudson Center is planned for Sept. 29 from 4-5 p.m.

“I have received very positive feedback on this concept from Hudson community leaders as well as our own campus community, and we look forward to ‘planting the UWRF flag’ in Hudson,” Van Galen noted.

For more information about the UW-River Falls Hudson Center, including a complete list of course offerings, hours of operation and directions, visit http://www.uwrf.edu/hudsoncenter or contact Fry at 715-425-3711.

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Last updated: Friday, 17-Sep-2010 13:58:28 Central Daylight Time