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UW-RF LOOKS TO FUTURE THROUGH SURVEY RESULTS

NOV. 18, 2005--Friendly, fun, home, comfortable, quiet, welcoming and pretty—those descriptors and many more were among the almost 10,000 discrete comments that nearly 600 students, faculty, staff and community members provided in the UW-River Falls vision and values survey.

The online survey, which was conducted through October, sought opinions in seven areas. Respondents were asked to describe the campus, offer what its core values should be in the 21st century, and describe their vision for the institution. In addition, respondents could offer an opinion on UW-RF’s strengths, suggest its future defining characteristics, offer what changes would be needed to accomplish those characteristics, and weigh in on how Chancellor Don Betz should be spending his time.

On Tuesday some 150 persons participated in a town-hall meeting led by Betz, who summarized and shared the survey results. A Powerpoint presentation on the data is online at http://www.uwrf.edu/vision/.

Glowing and hopeful comments were offered by many of the respondents. One response to the core values question noted, "UW-RF should be an ethical, knowledgeable, congenial, affordable educational institution that operates with the greatest integrity to meet the educational needs of its students."

A student offered this commentary about institutional strengths: "I have had 16 professors since I've been enrolled as a student here. These instructors have all been exceptional in my opinion. Each one of them has been inspiring, helpful and thought-provoking. ... If that is not what is most important in education, I don't know what else it could be."

Among the highlights were:
•Core values should ensure that the University model integrity and honesty as well as openness and tolerance as it intellectually challenges its students and helps prepare them in their roles as citizens and professionals.
•UW-RF should be more visible and distinct. It should maintain its campus culture as it continues to experience advances in technology.
•It must continue to build its regional and national reputation while it seeks ways to be innovative and energized.
•It should continue to pursue its academic strength areas of education, agriculture, the sciences and liberal arts. Another strength is that its small size and close community provides a private college atmosphere with the advantage of lesser public university tuition and fees.

Advice directed toward Betz was to ensure he continues to be accessible to students. He also was counseled to spend additional time in Madison securing resources, developing new funding sources, and leading the change as the campus prepares for growth and change in west-central Wisconsin.

The survey information will next be used as UW-RF moves forward to review its mission. Survey data will also serve as a basis for decision-making in an upcoming strategic planning process and as the groundwork to describe the University as it prepares for an upcoming accreditation review by the North Central Association.

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Last updated: Monday, 21-Nov-2005 16:04:47 CST