Chancellor Bob Meyer was the bearer of good news Monday, Aug. 28, for faculty and staff as they prepared to begin the 2017-18 academic year at UW-Stout.
Meyer, in his Opening Day address in the Great Hall of the Memorial Student Center, addressed the hundreds in attendance first about the state budget, which is in the process of being finalized by the Legislature.
Over the summer, lawmakers included three items that will have positive impacts on faculty and staff: the budget includes $36 million in new funding for the UW System; restored system lapsed funding — $1.22 million for UW-Stout — from the previous budget; and approved 2 percent pay raises for all employees, one in 2018 and one in 2019.
Relaying the news about the pending salary increases was especially pleasing for Meyer, who said the issue was and continues to be his No. 1 priority. “We will continue to advocate for additional increases and try to find resources for campus-based raises as well,” Meyer said Monday.
Meyer noted three upcoming building renovations that received final state approval during the summer. They are: exterior work on historic Bowman Hall, which includes the Clock Tower; first-floor renovations at Merle M. Price Commons, the main student dining facility; and a total renovation and addition at North Hall, a residence hall. The projects, totaling more than $38 million, are scheduled to begin in late spring 2018 and wrap up in 2019.
Meyer also discussed UW-Stout’s designation 10 years ago as Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University. Since then the university has adhered to the polytechnic tenets of career focus, applied learning and collaboration, which have “withstood the test of time and define us as an institution,” he said.
The university is about half way through a capital fundraising campaign, Pathways Forward. The public phase of the campaign will begin in 2018, Meyer said.
During his address, Meyer also noted that UW-Stout recently was recognized by the UW System as one of four engineering schools within the UW System.
After Meyer’s remarks, small group Engagement Sessions were held campuswide for faculty and staff. The annual sessions allow employees to provide input on key issues identified through the university’s inclusive planning process.
The first day of fall classes is Wednesday, Sept. 6. Residence halls open Sunday, Sept. 3.
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Photos
Top: Staff member Alex Hall, left, talks during the Engagement Sessions on campus Monday, Aug. 28.
Bottom: Bob Meyer
