University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

The Seal of the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire
Motto	Excellence: Our Measure, Our Motto, Our Goal
Type	State university
Established	1916
Endowment	$622,637
Chancellor	Brian Levin-Stankevich
Academic staff	479
Students	10,549
Undergraduates	10,055
Postgraduates	494
Location	Eau Claire , WI , USA
Campus	Urban, 333 acres (1.3 km²)
Colors	Navy & Old Gold
Mascot	Blugold
Website	www.uwec.edu

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (also known as UW-Eau Claire or UWEC) is a public university in west-central Wisconsin, United States. It offers Bachelor's and Master's degrees.

Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the University sits along the banks of the Chippewa River and on the edge of the Chippewa Valley. Consisting of 28 major buildings spanning 333 acres (1.3 km²), the University's annual enrollment is more than 10,000.

The school is generally referred to by students and faculty as UW-Eau Claire or by its initials, UWEC.

U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks UW-Eau Claire among the very best regional public universities in the Midwest. It was ranked third among Midwest regional public universities in 2005.

The University is affiliated with the NCAA's Division III sports program. The mascot is the "Eau Claire Blugold," a name coined to reflect the school colors (navy blue and old gold.)

History

The University was founded in 1916 as the Eau Claire State Normal School, offering one-, two- and three-year teachers' courses and a principals' course. In 1927, the name of the school was changed to the Eau Claire State Teachers College and the school began offering a bachelor's degree program. The campus was also altered to accommodate a 300-man detachment from the Army Air Corps.

In 1951, the Wisconsin Board of Regents authorized the school to offer bachelor of arts and science degrees in liberal arts; subsequently, the name of the school was changed to the Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire. In 1964 the Board of Regents gave university standing to the state colleges, and the institution at Eau Claire was renamed Wisconsin State University–Eau Claire. Finally, in 1971 the name of the institution was changed to the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire following the merger of the Wisconsin State University System and the University of Wisconsin System.

Campus facts

Information presumed current as of April 2006

• Location: Eau Claire, Wisconsin; city pop. 64,000, metro. pop. 151,000
• Campus: 28 major buildings, 333 acres and one river
• Walk across campus: About 10 min.

A view of UWEC at dusk. The Haas Fine Arts Center is in the foreleft, Hilltop Center can be seen in the center right, above which rise the Towers, Towers South above Hilltop and Towers North to the upper right.

• Student population: 10,549
  • Undergraduate students: 10,055
  • Graduate students: 494
  • Multicultural students: 498
  • Students studying abroad: 400+
  • Undergraduate researchers: 710

A view of UWEC looking northeast toward Hibbard Humanities Hall, home of most of the Humanities offices and classes, over the top of Schofield Hall, which contains most of the administrative offices. The building in the foreground is the "Old Library", now an auxiliary part of the McIntyre Library, UWEC's central library. The photograph was taken from within the McIntyre Library.

• Faculty and staff: 1,150
  • Full-time faculty: 408 (246 men; 162 women)
  • Part-time faculty: 71 (23 men; 48 women)
  • Total faculty with Ph.D. or other terminal degree: 78%
  • Multicultural faculty members: 35
  • Faculty with tenure: 58%
• Faculty-student ratio: 1-to-20
• Computer-to-student ratio: 1-to-9
• Average men-to-women ratio: 2-to-3
• ACT composite average: 23.9
• Average class size: 29
• Seal: Council oak tree

2005-2006 expenses

• Tuition and fees: $5,226 in-state, $15,492 out-of-state
• Room/board: $4,266

Residence Halls

• Bridgman Hall
• Chancellors Hall
• Emmet Horan Hall
• Governors Hall
• Katharine Thomas Hall
• Murray Hall
• Oakridge Hall
• Putnam Hall
• Sutherland Hall
• Towers North
• Towers South

Notable alumni

• Anthony "Tony" Duran, celebrity photographer (Class of 1988)
• Brian "Kato" Kaelin, of O.J. Simpson trial fame; (did not graduate)
• Mark Green, U.S. Congressman (Class of 1983)
• John Menard, Jr., founder of Menards (Class of 1963)
• Mae Schunk, Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
• Jackie Thomas, star of the FOX television show Playing It Straight (did not graduate)
• Claire B. Lang, host of "Dialed In" on XM Satellite Radio's NASCAR Channel (Class of 1976)
• Jane Kathryn Plank, actress in The Mighty Ducks & Jingle All The Way (Class of 2002)
• David Domine, author of Ghosts of Old Louisville and Phantoms of Old Louisville (Class of 1989)

External links

• UW–Eau Claire Website
• UW–Eau Claire Athletics
• UWEC Student Newspaper, The Spectator
• The UWEC Alternative Student News Source
• The Blugold Marching Band
• The UWEC Forensics Team
• BusyBlugold.com Student Website