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An upbeat Chancellor Bob Meyer looked back at 2017 and ahead to 2018 as he addressed faculty and staff Tuesday, Jan. 16, to kick off a new calendar year and new semester at University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Faculty returned to work Jan. 16. Classes for the spring semester begin Monday, Jan. 22.

In the Great Hall of the Memorial Student Center, Meyer said “2017 was a great year. We’ll be looking for more of that (in 2018).”

Accomplishments and notable events in 2017 included:

• Dedication of the Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering
• Hosting the UW System Board of Regents meeting in October
• Creation of the Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation, which hosted its first Free Speech Week in the fall
• Employment rate for recent graduates rising to 97.4 percent
• Renovations approved by the state for three buildings, Bowman Hall, North Hall and Merle M. Price Commons, to begin in late spring 2018
• Celebrations of the university’s 10th anniversary of its designation as Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University and 15th anniversary of winning the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Looking ahead to 2018, Meyer said he was pleased to report good news about salaries. For example, the state has approved, with final approval expected soon, 2 percent pay increases July 1 and Jan. 1, 2019. Faculty and staff, who filled most of the Great Hall, responded to the salary news with a round of applause.

Meyer added that he was “committed to doing whatever I can to increase salaries even more in the future. Compensation continues to be a priority for me.”

Meyer looked ahead to two other ongoing projects. The first phase of a new university website soon will be unveiled after more than two years of work by a team of people on campus. The project has involved migrating more than 10,000 web pages from the old site to the new.

“The new website should greatly enhance our marketing efforts,” Meyer said.

Also, the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, by Stout University Foundation, will begin its public phase in the fall.

The comprehensive campaign, which has raised about 60 percent of the $35 million goal, is being co-chaired by Debbie Cervenka, who with her late husband, Robert, has provided philanthropic support for ���Ͽ� over the years; and Joe Rossmeier, a 1965 alumnus. Other campaign leaders are alumni Bill Flesch ’81, Bill Hendricksen ’74, Kim Polzin ’78, Barb Steinhilber ’62 and Craig Yolitz ’85.

The chancellor also provided an update on water damage to the Memorial Student Center, caused by a pipe that broke Dec. 28. The break happened in the Terrace, a dining and lounge area on the second floor, and areas below it. Repairs will be finished when students return Jan. 22.

“Quick work by the staff that responded minimized the damage to as low as possible,” Meyer said, as he thanked them and members of the Facilities Management department for their efforts.

Meyer’s address was followed with the You Said … We Did presentation. Presented by the Office of Planning, Assessment, Research and Quality, the presentation explained initiatives ���Ͽ� has undertaken or is developing in response to employee suggestions during the fall Engagement Sessions.

More than a dozen initiatives were discussed, including the student jobs program; class sizes; creating a welcoming environment; recruiting a diverse student population; harassment in the classroom; the Research Fellows program for faculty; the Diversity Speaker Series; and supplemental compensation.

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Photos

Top: Chancellor Bob Meyer speaks to faculty and staff Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the Great Hall of the Memorial Student Center to begin the spring semester.

Second: Employee Tom Dye holds a sign during a program at the Memorial Student Center to kick off the spring semester.

Bottom: Blaze, the ���Ͽ� mascot, dances during a surprise visit to the program.