University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Encyclopedia
The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse (also known as UW–La Crosse, Wisconsin–La Crosse, or UW–L) is a public university
located in La Crosse, Wisconsin
, USA. Part of the University of Wisconsin System
, the university awards bachelor's
, master's
, and one doctoral degree
.
Originally known for its nationally recognized physical education
program, UW–La Crosse now offers 87 undergraduate programs in 44 disciplines, and 26 graduate
programs with emphases in eight disciplines. The microbiology
and exercise and sport science programs have been designated as UW System Centers of Excellence, and the College of Business Administration holds national accreditation. UW–La Crosse also offers Wisconsin's only nationally-accredited degrees in recreation management and therapeutic recreation, the UW System's only nuclear medicine technology program, and offers one of two Midwest undergraduate archaeology
majors.
The UW–La Crosse athletic teams compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
, in NCAA's
Division III. They have won 51 NCAA national titles in nine sports, including 34 since 1991. UW–L is one of six institutions among the 433 in NCAA Division III that finished in the top 20 all 10 years of the Director's Cup.
The university is home to the 10,000-seat Veterans Memorial Stadium
.
The university was founded as the La Crosse State Normal School in 1909, the eighth of nine state normal school
s established in Wisconsin between 1866 and 1916 for the purpose of teacher preparation. Thomas Morris
was instrumental in the founding of the university as he sponsored the bill in the Wisconsin State Senate
that led to the university's creation. Initially, the La Crosse State Normal School was authorized to offer two year programs to prepare students for the teaching profession. Main Hall
(now Maurice O. Graff Main Hall), the original building on campus, was constructed the year the school was founded. The La Crosse State Normal School opened its doors later that same year with Fassett A. Cotton as its first president
.
La Crosse State Normal School students began organizing several extra-curricular activities within two years of the school's founding. In 1910, students published the first campus newspaper, The Racquet, which is still published today. The Physical Education Club was formed in 1912, making it the longest continuous organization in the school's history.
The Physical Education Building
(now Wittich Hall), the original physical education building, was completed in 1916 after delays due to the start of World War I
. This was not the only setback for the school during this period. The school struggled through serious declines in enrollment and funding following World War I and throughout the Great Depression
.
In 1926, George M. Snodgrass became the school's third president, replacing Ernest A. Smith, who served for only one year. That same year the school's programs were expanded and authorization was given to award baccalaureate teaching degrees. This led to an institutional name change the following year to La Crosse State Teachers College.
In 1931 the college was divided into separate elementary education, secondary education, and physical education divisions. It was also this year that the homecoming
tradition of the "Hanging of the Lantern" began at the south entrance of Maurice O. Graff Main Hall. It was created by English teacher Orris O. White who remarked, "We'll hang the lantern in the old college tower... You won't need to look for the key - the door will be open."
The Training School, which had also been referred to as the Campus School and the Model School, moved into its newly constructed building in 1939. The LaCrosse State Teachers College Training School Building
was later renamed Morris Hall in honor of Wisconsin politician, Thomas Morris
. The Training School provided practice and supervised observation for teacher training candidates. 1973 was the last year of operation for the Training School. Rexford S. Mitchell became the college's fourth president that same year, serving until 1966.
In 1959, the college celebrated its 50th anniversary, with an enrollment of 1,821 students. That same year presidential candidate John F. Kennedy
visited campus and spoke to a packed Graff Main Hall auditorium.
In 1964, the college was designated a university as part of the Wisconsin State University System and was renamed Wisconsin State University–La Crosse. This designation led to the creation of the Colleges of Education, Health-Recreation-Physical Education, and Letters and Sciences. Later, the School of Business Administration was also formed within College of Letters and Sciences. A few years after receiving university designation, the university's fifth president, Samuel G. Gates, began his term in 1966.
The Wisconsin State University System merged with the University of Wisconsin System
in 1971, at which time the university adopted its current name and also changed the title for the head of the university from President to Chancellor
. Kenneth E. Lindner, who was at the time the university's sixth president, became the university's first chancellor
. Lindner, after serving as chancellor from 1971–1979, was succeeded by Noel Richards, who served as the university's chancellor until 1991. Lindner Forest, a heavily wooded section in the southern part of campus, was named in honor of former Chancellor Lindner.
In 1989, the university's mascot became the Eagle
. UW–L men's athletics teams had previously been known as the Indians
(1937–1989), Red Raiders, Hurricanes, Racqueteers, and Peds and Maroons. The women's athletic teams were known as the Roonies, derived from the university's school colors of maroon and gray, since the inception of female intercollegiate competition in the early 1970s. They adopted the Eagle mascot a year after it became the university mascot. Since the adoption of the Eagle mascot, the band's mascot has been the Screaming Eagle, having been known as the Marching Chiefs before that. The "Eagle in the L" and caricature
, which were both created in 1989, were unveiled just before the fall sports teams took to the field as the Eagles for the first time. They were penned by Dave Christianson, a 1973 arts graduate who created the images after the adoption of the Eagle mascot.
, Western Technical College
, Franciscan Skemp Medical Center
, and Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
, was created to provide cutting-edge medical education, research and training. This led to the creation of the US $
27 million
Health Science Center in 2000.
Under the university's strategic
plan, "Forward Together," the university reorganized into four colleges: the College of Business Administration; the College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation; the College of Science and Allied Health; and the College of Liberal Studies, which housed the School of Arts and Communication and the School of Education. The College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation underwent a few names changes before eventually merging with the College of Science and Allied Health to form the College of Science and Health in 2006.
The Cleary Alumni & Friends Center along with Murphy Library remodeling projects were completed in 1995. Construction continued on campus and two years later a student life center, the Recreational Eagle Center, and the Hoeschler clock tower were also finished. Hoeschler Tower becomes a focal point on campus and the new home for the traditional "Hanging of the Lantern."
The turn of the century saw a number of changes at UW–L. The Archaeology Building and Laboratories, which was a US $
380,000 renovation of the campus's original power plant, had its grand opening that year. A US $
9.9 million
renovation to Wing Technology Center also was started at that time and was completed in 2001. Another major change was the resignation of Chancellor Kuipers. She was replaced on an interim basis by Douglas Hastad, who Hastad was named the university's fourth chancellor and ninth leader by the UW System
Board of Regents in 2001.
The 2001–2002 academic year was an especially good one for the university's athletic teams, who won four national championships that year, three NCAA Division III championships (indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and cross country), and one NCGA title (women's gymnastics).
Joe Gow became the fifth chancellor and 10th leader of UW–La Crosse on February 1, 2007 after being recommended by the UW System
. He replaced Douglas Hastad, who left to become president at Carroll College
, in Waukesha, Wisconsin
. His official inauguration took place on October 19, 2007. Since taking over as chancellor, Gow has shown himself to be a very active, involved and accessible leader. Gow often personally e-mail
s the entire student body to inform them about student accomplishments and upcoming university events. An accomplished guitar
ist, he even performed at the Cartwright Center's "Cellar" restaurant for students after taking over as chancellor.
Today, the university continues to offer much to the area and the state of Wisconsin
, including cultural events, regional and national conferences, prominent speakers, applied research, health care, professionals with varying expertise, a large workforce, and numerous faculty, staff and student community volunteers. The percentage of the university's budget that is state funded has declined over the past few years, as it has at many public universities throughout the nation. In 1996, students paid 35% of the cost of their education at UW–L and the state the remaining 65%. By 2005, the student share had grown to 51% as the state’s shrunk to 49%. UW–L’s tuition
still remains among the lowest of any comprehensive public university in the Midwest, but the university has felt the strain caused by decreased public funding. The university's centennial campaign and "growth and access" agenda are both aimed at providing the necessary financial resources to deal with the decreased state funding.
The campus embraces diversity
, a commitment to increase minority
and international
students, faculty and staff. Despite this, African American
enrollment decreased over the period between 1996 and 2007. The university hopes to change that in the future with the planned "growth and access" agenda, of which expanded campus diversity is a major goal.
The university's plans for the future revolve around increasing access to UW–L for talented students of all backgrounds and expanding student research and academic opportunities. UW–La Crosse will do this while providing facilities and faculty that foster a campus learning environment which expands scholarly activity and serves the needs of the student and the worldwide community. Both the centennial campaign and "growth and access" agenda are major tools meant to lead the university to these goals.
UW–La Crosse offers 87 undergraduate programs in 44 disciplines, and 26 graduate
programs and emphases in eight disciplines. Microbiology
and exercise and sport science are designated as UW System Centers of Excellence, and the College of Business Administration holds national accreditation. UW–La Crosse also offers Wisconsin's only nationally-accredited degrees in recreation management and therapeutic recreation, the UW System's only nuclear medicine technology program, and the Midwest's only undergraduate archaeology
major.
The student body is ranked second only to the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in the UW system in composite ACT
score and average GPA. Of the 2005-06 freshman class, 67% of students received a score of 24 or higher on the ACT (600 or higher on the verbal and math components of the SAT
). That places the majority of UW–L students in the top 20% (80th percentile) of students taking the ACT or SAT examinations. UW–La Crosse's admission requirements have become increasingly demanding in recent years.
ranked UW–L second among Midwestern public universities offering bachelor's and master's degrees in 2005, 2006, and 2007, and third in 2008. The university was recognized as a “best value” by Kiplinger's Personal Finance
, ranking 31st nationally among public colleges for out-of-state students and 33rd for in-state students in 2007. In 2007, the Princeton Review named UW–La Crosse one of America's "Best Midwestern Colleges" and an "America's Best Value College". Men's Health
magazine ranked UW–L the 10th fittest campus in the country in 2005 and 12th fittest in 2006.
In 2005, UW–La Crosse's economics department was ranked among the nation's top universities for the number of contributions to Journal of Economic Education
, a leading education journal in the discipline. The authors used the number of contributions by a department to measure that department's teaching quality under the assumption that schools with greater contributions to the economic education literature would have a comparative advantage
in teaching economics. UW–L ranked 29th, tied with Harvard, MIT
, University of California Berkeley, and three other universities.
UW–L was ranked 1st in the nation for percentage of accounting students passing all four parts of the national CPA exam in their first attempt in 2002.
The UW–L physician assistant program, which is a partnership with the Gundersen Lutheran
Medical Foundation and the Mayo School of Health Sciences
, had average scores on the national certifying examination that placed the program among the top five in the country in 2004.
The university is organized into three colleges: the College of Business Administration, the College of Science and Health, and the College of Liberal Studies, which houses the School of Arts and Communication and the School of Education.
, social sciences, arts and communication, education and interdisciplinary programs that comprise the College of Liberal Studies (CLS). The CLS is divided into two separate schools, the School of Arts & Communication and the School of Education.
The School of Arts and Communication has programs that concern the human condition as it is conveyed through artistic and communicative endeavors.
The School of Education represents a collection of teacher education programs housed in a variety of departments and colleges across the university. Teacher education programs are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary School's Higher Learning Commission.
in physical therapy
.
The compact 119 acres (48 ha) campus is located in a residential section of La Crosse. The extensive landscape of grassy fields, trees, flowers, and other vegetation gives the campus a distinct park-like feel. The university has limited vehicle traffic on campus to add to its aesthetic feel. In 2006, UW–La Crosse received a "Grand Award" at the 2006 Green Star Awards competition for its campus landscaping from the Professional Grounds Management Society
.
To the east of campus are the La Crosse bluffs
, of which the most prominent is Grandad Bluff
(mentioned in Life on the Mississippi
by Mark Twain
), which seem to almost encase the campus. Downtown La Crosse and the Mississippi River
are about a half mile west of campus.
Hoeschler Tower (1996), located in the heart of UW–L, is the focal point of campus and a popular destination and meeting place for students. It is also the site for many university and student events, such as concerts, fundraisers, the clocktower dance, memorial services, and the traditional hanging of the lantern.
Sidewalk chalk
is used as a means of communication among students throughout the warmer months. It is used by as a way of advertising future events, sharing personal ideas, and promoting political agendas, among other things.
Students can live in one of the university's residence halls. The newest residence hall, Eagle Hall, will open Fall 2011 and house 500 students and the new center for residence life. It was completed in 2006 and offers stunning views of the nearby bluffs. Two 1950s-era residence halls, Trowbridge Hall and Baird Hall, were demolished in spring 2009 to make way for a new academic building, Centennial Hall, which is slated for completion in the fall of 2011 and will be the largest academic building on campus. A new residence hall, to be the largest on campus and has yet to be named, is being built on what was Coate Field. Further construction plans include constructing a new student building to replace an aging Cartwright Center, a new science building to replace an aging Cowley Hall, and a parking structure to replace gravel parking lots on the north side of campus.
Plans for campus developments over the next five years call for a new academic building with associated campus landscape improvements and a new stadium and outdoor athletics complex.
, classrooms, and the departments of Philosophy, Psychology and Modern Languages. It also contains other administrative and student services offices. It was designated an historic site by the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin
in 1984 and is on the National Register of Historic Places
as the Main Hall/La Crosse State Normal School
.
Wittich Hall - (1916) The original physical education building, houses faculty and staff offices, gymnasiums, a track, multipurpose and meeting rooms, a strength training center, a therapeutic/rehabilitation swimming pool, the Musculoskeletal Research Center, and the Special Populations Exercise Program. The building has been renovated for use in the preparation of special/adapted physical education teachers and therapeutic recreation specialists. Administrative, faculty, staff, and graduate assistant offices for the Department of Recreation Management and Therapeutic Recreation are located in Wittich Hall. The building is also the primary practice site for the Women's Intercollegiate Athletics Gymnastics team. Wittich Hall, the Physical Education Building of the La Crosse State Normal School, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
in 1985 as the Physical Education Building/La Crosse State Normal School
.
Thomas Morris Hall - Morris Hall (1939, 1966, remodeled 1996), located at the corner of 16th and State Streets, first opened in January 1940 as the LaCrosse State Teachers College Training School Building
. Morris Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, Morris Hall houses the instructional and administrative facilities for the School of Education including the Department of Educational Studies, Master of Education-Professional Development Program (ME-PD), Learning Communities Programs, and Office of Student Teaching and Internships. In addition, Morris Hall houses the Office of Continuing Education and Extension as well as the Frederick Theater.
Eugene W. Murphy Library - Murphy Library (1969, remodeled 1995), centrally located on campus, named in recognition of Eugene W. Murphy for his 22 years of service to UW–L and the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents
. At the time of its construction, the library cost US $
2.5 million
to construct. As of 2007, Murphy Library had a total of 691,282 books, bound periodicals, and government documents. The library also offers a range of electronic resources, such as journals and databases that can be accessed by students. In 2006, the library opened Murphy's Mug Café, which is managed by the campus dining services.
Health Science Center - The US $
27 million
Health Science Center (2000) was a project of the La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium. The building includes laboratory facilities for the Medical Laboratory Science, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, and Radiation Therapy programs. Biology and microbiology research laboratories are also available for medical research. Laboratories and classrooms, including distance education classrooms, are shared by all educational programs at the center. A student health center, including a physical therapy clinic, is located on the main floor and serves UW–L and neighboring Western Technical College
students.
Cleary Alumni and Friends Center - The Cleary Alumni and Friends Center was built in 1995 by the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Foundation and donated to the university. Members of both the university and the greater La Crosse community meet and take advantage of the conference center, smaller conference rooms, and large banquet
hall. The Cleary Center houses the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Foundation offices and the Alumni and University Relations advancement offices.
Mitchell Hall - Mitchell Hall (1965) is a recreational, teaching, research, and service facility located adjacent to outdoor practice fields, 16 tennis courts, soccer fields, and Veterans Memorial Stadium
. Facilities include a swimming pool, basketball courts, wrestling room, dance studio, racquetball courts, and a 3800 square feet (353 m²) strength and conditioning center. The field house located in Mitchell Hall has a 4-lane 200-meter polyurethane
track, long and triple jump pit, pole vault boxes, nets for tennis, badminton, volleyball, golf, softball/baseball hitting, and a climbing wall.
Recreational Eagle Center - The Rec Eagle Center (1997) is managed by the Student Activities Center and houses Intramural and Student Recreational Sports. The building includes a field house, a 200-meter elevated running track with warm-up areas, a strength and conditioning center, a climbing gym, a child care center, TV lounges, locker rooms/shower rooms, and various multi-purpose activity rooms. The Rec Eagle Center regularly hosts various campus activities, such as Rectoberfest and the 5K Turkey Trot Run/Walk.
Fitness and exercise is an important part of the campus culture at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. The student body is very active in athletics, whether they be varsity, intramural, or simply recreational. The Recreational Eagle Center is often filled with students trying to stay fit and healthy. Students take advantage of the many rustic
areas for hiking and biking in and around La Crosse. Renting a canoe
or kayak
from the Recreational Eagle Center to take on one of the region's many rivers is also a popular activity. In the winter, sleds are available to students. Pass-fail activity classes such as yoga
, strength training
, and rock climbing
are often taken by students as a way to meet new people, explore new activities, and to get a workout. This dedication by UW–L students to health and exercise has been recognized by Men's Health
magazine, which ranked UW–L the 10th fittest campuses in the country in 2005 and 12th fittest in 2006.
UW–La Crosse has a strong commitment to diversity and acceptance regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. In 2006, the school was named one of the nation's top 100 LGBT
-friendly universities by The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students. The rankings were determined by examining institutional policies, commitment and support, academic life, housing, student life, counseling and health services, campus safety, and recruitment and retention efforts.
Besides UW–La Crosse, the city of La Crosse is also home to two other institutions of higher learning, Viterbo University
and Western Technical College
. As a result, student-friendly activities and destinations dominate the city, including Grandad Bluff
, Riverside Park and the Mississippi River
, Rudy's drive-in, The Pearl Ice Cream Shop, the many bars and clubs located on 3rd Street, the Rivoli movie theater, and the rest of downtown La Crosse tend to cater to college students.
Greek life has a small role at UW–L. Only about 1% of males and 1% of females in the student body are members of a social fraternity or sorority
. The four social fraternities represented on campus are Delta Sigma Phi
, Sigma Tau Gamma
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
, Chi Phi
, and the two sororities represented are Alpha Xi Delta
and Alpha Phi
.
Delta Sigma Phi is the only greek organization on campus with an actual fraternity house.
Additionally, the Eta Rho chapter of the Delta Sigma Pi
professional business fraternity exists at UW-L as a coed option for students of the College of Business Administration.
The Racquet's staff includes the two division editors, assistant editors, copy editors, the multimedia editor, graphics designers, the advertising director, advertising representatives, a publisher, an online editor, and a managing editor. The editor in chief is The Racquet's chief executive officer, ultimately responsible for all editorial and business decisions and for determing a "vision" for The Racquet. The correspondence staff includes paid student writers and photographers (currently 38 in total). The vast majority of The Racquet's annual budget is generated internally, but a small portion is contributed via student fees.
The Second Supper is a satirical newspaper published by students and is recognized by the student government.The Second Supper
is published weekly from its headquarters in downtown La Crosse, serving western Wisconsin through the cities of La Crosse and Eau Claire.
The Catalyst is a student-produced and edited quarterly publication of student submitted essays, short stories, and poetry. Each edition has a different theme. The Catalyst intends to provide a channel for creative intellectual inquiry in order to provoke campus and community discussion.
and gray. The current university mascot, which was adopted in 1989, is the Eagle
. UW–L men's athletics teams had previously been known as the Indians
(1937–1989), Red Raiders, Hurricanes, Racqueteers, and Peds and Maroons. The women's athletic teams were known as the Roonies, derived from the university's school colors of maroon and gray, since the inception of female intercollegiate competition in the early 1970s until November 1990 when they also adopted the Eagle mascot. Since the adoption of the Eagle mascot, the band's mascot has been the Screaming Eagle, having been known as the Marching Chiefs before that.
which was created in 1989, right before the fall sports teams took to the field as the Eagles for the first time. It was created by Dave Christianson, a 1973 art major graduate who penned the images after the UW–L men's teams adopted the Eagle mascot. Women's teams started sporting the Eagles moniker in November 1990. Both the "Eagle in the L" and the eagle caricature were unveiled in August 1989. The UW-L Eagle mascot was named "Colbert" in a vote by students during the 2008-09 school year. The original vote declared that Eddie the Eagle be the name of the mascot, however the NRA mascot is also Eddie the Eagle and there was potential for a lawsuit. As a result of a second vote, Colbert was chosen.
We're going to cheer, La Crosse,
Because we're here, La Crosse,
Let us make it clear.
We're going to fight, La Crosse,
With all our might, La Crosse,
Victory is near.
So let's dig in, La Crosse,
We're going to win, La Crosse,
Go Maroon and Gray.
We're going to fight, win,
show that we're the best,
because we are La Crosse, La Crosse.
Hear the UW–La Crosse Fight Song
Morning sun greets many banners,
on its westward way;
Fair to us above all others,
waves Maroon and Gray.
Colors dear, flag we love,
float for aye, old La Crosse to thee;
May we all be ever loyal,
to thy memory.
Since 1931, a lantern has hung each Homecoming
. The lantern hung on the south side of Graff Main Hall until 1997 when it was moved to the Hoeschler Tower in the center of campus. While the tower's lantern hangs year-round, it is only lit during Homecoming.
. They gathered and piled brush in the shape of a 30 feet (9.1 m) by 15 feet (4.6 m) "L."
Brown and Carnes then decided to start the brush "L" on fire. They headed down the bluff to a gas station and returned with a five-gallon can to douse the brush. Brown and Carnes could see the police lights heading toward the bluff, so they lit the brush and slipped down the bluff toward campus before the police could locate them. When Brown and Carnes reached Veterans Memorial Stadium
, the fog lifted and allowed the crowd to see the "L."
In recent years, the "L" has been lit by electricity and shines from Grandad Bluff
.
The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse maintains strong programs in indoor and outdoor track
, cross-country
, gymnastics, and football
, competing in the WIAC
, which is in the NCAA's
Division III. UW–L holds membership affiliation in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association. The gymnastics team has won a total of 12 national titles, a record in the NCGA, as well as a record 20 WIAC titles. They have also been a rising contender in the Division III wrestling
ranks the past couple of years. The university also has many different sports represented at the club level, including men's and women's lacrosse
(referred to as La Crosse lacrosse), men's and women's rugby union
, men's soccer and many others.
UW–L has approximately 570 student athletes participating on 19 teams (ten for women and nine for men), which have won 51 NCAA national titles in nine different sports, including 34 since 1991. UW–L has also won 309 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships in school history. UW–L is one only of six institutions in NCAA Division III history to finish in the top 20 all 10 years of the Directors’ Cup, which includes all 433 NCAA Division III schools.
UW–L has won 26 men's track & field titles in school history, the most in Division III history. The Eagles have won 14 indoor and 10 outdoor championships, both ranking first in the nation. With their national indoor and outdoor titles in 2006, the Eagles have now swept the indoor and outdoor titles in the same season 10 times (1988, 1991–1993, 1997, 2001–04 and, 2006).
The university won the NCAA Division III "triple crown" in 2001-02, claiming the men's cross country title, men's indoor track & field title and men's outdoor track & field championship. With the national titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, UW–L holds the distinction of being only one of two NCAA Division III institution to win the "triple crown" (The other being North Central College during 2009-10).
The Eagles also captured the 2005 NCAA Division III Cross Country title, the third in school history (1996, 2001).
UW–L won its sixth consecutive National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championship in 2006. The Eagles have won an NCGA record 11 national titles (1986, 1988, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2006) overall.
The Eagles won seven Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(WIAC) titles in 2005-06 and finished in the top-four in 16 of 18 sports. UW–L also had nine WIAC Scholar-Athletes last year and eight WIAC Coach of the Year honors. The Eagles had 203 All-WIAC honors in 2005-06.
The UW–L football team plays its home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium
. As of June 2008, the old football stadium and outdoor track is being replaced by a new state of the art timed outdoor track, a football turf field, a new 10,000+ seat stadium/press box/field lights, plus surrounding soccer/athletic fields. It is being paid for by sponsors and donations to UW–L.
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
located in La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
, USA. Part of the University of Wisconsin System
University of Wisconsin System
The University of Wisconsin System is a university system of public universities in the state of Wisconsin. It is one of the largest public higher education systems in the country, enrolling more than 182,000 students each year and employing more than 32,000 faculty and staff statewide...
, the university awards bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, and one doctoral degree
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
.
Originally known for its nationally recognized physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
program, UW–La Crosse now offers 87 undergraduate programs in 44 disciplines, and 26 graduate
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
programs with emphases in eight disciplines. The microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
and exercise and sport science programs have been designated as UW System Centers of Excellence, and the College of Business Administration holds national accreditation. UW–La Crosse also offers Wisconsin's only nationally-accredited degrees in recreation management and therapeutic recreation, the UW System's only nuclear medicine technology program, and offers one of two Midwest undergraduate archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
majors.
The UW–La Crosse athletic teams compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. As the name implies, member teams are located in the state of Wisconsin, although there are three associate members from Minnesota and one from Michigan...
, in NCAA's
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division III. They have won 51 NCAA national titles in nine sports, including 34 since 1991. UW–L is one of six institutions among the 433 in NCAA Division III that finished in the top 20 all 10 years of the Director's Cup.
The university is home to the 10,000-seat Veterans Memorial Stadium
Veterans Memorial Stadium (La Crosse)
Veterans Memorial Stadium is a stadium in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is primarily used for American football and track and field, and is the home field of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse "Eagles". Veterans Memorial Stadium seats around 6,200 in the main grandstand and upon completion of the...
.
The early years
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
s established in Wisconsin between 1866 and 1916 for the purpose of teacher preparation. Thomas Morris
Thomas Morris (Wisconsin politician)
Thomas Morris was Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin from 1911 until 1915. He was born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, St. Arnold Parish, Quebec. Morris settled in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where, he was a barber. Thomas Morris went to law school in Madison, Wisconsin, and returned to La...
was instrumental in the founding of the university as he sponsored the bill in the Wisconsin State Senate
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate, the powers of which are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate, is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature, smaller than the Wisconsin State Assembly...
that led to the university's creation. Initially, the La Crosse State Normal School was authorized to offer two year programs to prepare students for the teaching profession. Main Hall
Main Hall/La Crosse State Normal School
Main Hall/La Crosse State Normal School was the original building for La Crosse Normal School now the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The building was constructed in 1909. The office of the chancellor and various administrative departments are in Main Hall. The building...
(now Maurice O. Graff Main Hall), the original building on campus, was constructed the year the school was founded. The La Crosse State Normal School opened its doors later that same year with Fassett A. Cotton as its first president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
.
La Crosse State Normal School students began organizing several extra-curricular activities within two years of the school's founding. In 1910, students published the first campus newspaper, The Racquet, which is still published today. The Physical Education Club was formed in 1912, making it the longest continuous organization in the school's history.
Physical Education Building/La Crosse State Normal School
Physical Education Building/La Crosse State Normal School was the original physical education building at La Crosse Normal School now the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The building was constructed in 1916 and was named Wittich Hall after one of the school's physical...
(now Wittich Hall), the original physical education building, was completed in 1916 after delays due to the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. This was not the only setback for the school during this period. The school struggled through serious declines in enrollment and funding following World War I and throughout the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
In 1926, George M. Snodgrass became the school's third president, replacing Ernest A. Smith, who served for only one year. That same year the school's programs were expanded and authorization was given to award baccalaureate teaching degrees. This led to an institutional name change the following year to La Crosse State Teachers College.
In 1931 the college was divided into separate elementary education, secondary education, and physical education divisions. It was also this year that the homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
tradition of the "Hanging of the Lantern" began at the south entrance of Maurice O. Graff Main Hall. It was created by English teacher Orris O. White who remarked, "We'll hang the lantern in the old college tower... You won't need to look for the key - the door will be open."
LaCrosse State Teachers College Training School Building
The La Crosse State Teachers College Training School Building was a building used to educate teachers at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The building is at 1615 State Street in La Crosse...
was later renamed Morris Hall in honor of Wisconsin politician, Thomas Morris
Thomas Morris (Wisconsin politician)
Thomas Morris was Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin from 1911 until 1915. He was born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, St. Arnold Parish, Quebec. Morris settled in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where, he was a barber. Thomas Morris went to law school in Madison, Wisconsin, and returned to La...
. The Training School provided practice and supervised observation for teacher training candidates. 1973 was the last year of operation for the Training School. Rexford S. Mitchell became the college's fourth president that same year, serving until 1966.
Post World War II years
After the Regents authorized the nine Wisconsin State Teachers Colleges to establish baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts, the college changed its name to Wisconsin State College-La Crosse in 1951. It was also this same year that Wilder Hall became the first campus residence hall. In 1956, the college was authorized to establish graduate programs, which led to the Master of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. A graduate program in physical education was also established at that time. Florence Wing Library, the college's first library, was constructed that same year and began a period of substantial expansion for the college. Over the next 18 years (1956–1974), the college ballooned from 5 buildings to a total of 23 buildings. The college added 11 residence halls, 4 academic buildings, 2 libraries, and 2 student centers during that time.In 1959, the college celebrated its 50th anniversary, with an enrollment of 1,821 students. That same year presidential candidate John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
visited campus and spoke to a packed Graff Main Hall auditorium.
In 1964, the college was designated a university as part of the Wisconsin State University System and was renamed Wisconsin State University–La Crosse. This designation led to the creation of the Colleges of Education, Health-Recreation-Physical Education, and Letters and Sciences. Later, the School of Business Administration was also formed within College of Letters and Sciences. A few years after receiving university designation, the university's fifth president, Samuel G. Gates, began his term in 1966.
The Wisconsin State University System merged with the University of Wisconsin System
University of Wisconsin System
The University of Wisconsin System is a university system of public universities in the state of Wisconsin. It is one of the largest public higher education systems in the country, enrolling more than 182,000 students each year and employing more than 32,000 faculty and staff statewide...
in 1971, at which time the university adopted its current name and also changed the title for the head of the university from President to Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
. Kenneth E. Lindner, who was at the time the university's sixth president, became the university's first chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
. Lindner, after serving as chancellor from 1971–1979, was succeeded by Noel Richards, who served as the university's chancellor until 1991. Lindner Forest, a heavily wooded section in the southern part of campus, was named in honor of former Chancellor Lindner.
In 1989, the university's mascot became the Eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
. UW–L men's athletics teams had previously been known as the Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
(1937–1989), Red Raiders, Hurricanes, Racqueteers, and Peds and Maroons. The women's athletic teams were known as the Roonies, derived from the university's school colors of maroon and gray, since the inception of female intercollegiate competition in the early 1970s. They adopted the Eagle mascot a year after it became the university mascot. Since the adoption of the Eagle mascot, the band's mascot has been the Screaming Eagle, having been known as the Marching Chiefs before that. The "Eagle in the L" and caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
, which were both created in 1989, were unveiled just before the fall sports teams took to the field as the Eagles for the first time. They were penned by Dave Christianson, a 1973 arts graduate who created the images after the adoption of the Eagle mascot.
After 1990
In 1991, Judith Kuipers became UW–L's third chancellor, serving until 2000. She was the institution's first and only female leader. In 1992, Kuipers was instrumental in the creation of the La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium. The consortium, a collaboration of UW–L, Viterbo UniversityViterbo University
Viterbo University is a Roman Catholic liberal arts university located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States in the Diocese of La Crosse.-History:...
, Western Technical College
Western Technical College
Western Technical College is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System. The main campus is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin.The school was previously known as Western Wisconsin Technical College , but the "Wisconsin" part of the name was officially dropped on March 29, 2006.-Other...
, Franciscan Skemp Medical Center
Franciscan Skemp Medical Center
Mayo Clinic Health System - Franciscan Healthcare is one of the two hospitals in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Franciscan Healthcare is part of Mayo Clinic of Rochester, Minnesota.-External links:*...
, and Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center a comprehensive health care network including one of the nation's largest multi-specialty group medical practices, regional community clinics, hospital, home care, behavioral health services, vision centers, pharmacies, and air and ground ambulances.Gundersen...
, was created to provide cutting-edge medical education, research and training. This led to the creation of the US $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
27 million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
Health Science Center in 2000.
Under the university's strategic
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
plan, "Forward Together," the university reorganized into four colleges: the College of Business Administration; the College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation; the College of Science and Allied Health; and the College of Liberal Studies, which housed the School of Arts and Communication and the School of Education. The College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation underwent a few names changes before eventually merging with the College of Science and Allied Health to form the College of Science and Health in 2006.
The Cleary Alumni & Friends Center along with Murphy Library remodeling projects were completed in 1995. Construction continued on campus and two years later a student life center, the Recreational Eagle Center, and the Hoeschler clock tower were also finished. Hoeschler Tower becomes a focal point on campus and the new home for the traditional "Hanging of the Lantern."
The turn of the century saw a number of changes at UW–L. The Archaeology Building and Laboratories, which was a US $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
380,000 renovation of the campus's original power plant, had its grand opening that year. A US $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
9.9 million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
renovation to Wing Technology Center also was started at that time and was completed in 2001. Another major change was the resignation of Chancellor Kuipers. She was replaced on an interim basis by Douglas Hastad, who Hastad was named the university's fourth chancellor and ninth leader by the UW System
University of Wisconsin System
The University of Wisconsin System is a university system of public universities in the state of Wisconsin. It is one of the largest public higher education systems in the country, enrolling more than 182,000 students each year and employing more than 32,000 faculty and staff statewide...
Board of Regents in 2001.
The 2001–2002 academic year was an especially good one for the university's athletic teams, who won four national championships that year, three NCAA Division III championships (indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and cross country), and one NCGA title (women's gymnastics).
Joe Gow became the fifth chancellor and 10th leader of UW–La Crosse on February 1, 2007 after being recommended by the UW System
University of Wisconsin System
The University of Wisconsin System is a university system of public universities in the state of Wisconsin. It is one of the largest public higher education systems in the country, enrolling more than 182,000 students each year and employing more than 32,000 faculty and staff statewide...
. He replaced Douglas Hastad, who left to become president at Carroll College
Carroll College (Wisconsin)
Carroll University is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian church located in Waukesha in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Carroll opened in 1846, two years before Wisconsin became a state...
, in Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha is a city in and the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. The population was 70,718 at the 2010 census, making it the largest community in the county and 7th largest in the state. The city is located adjacent to the Town of Waukesha...
. His official inauguration took place on October 19, 2007. Since taking over as chancellor, Gow has shown himself to be a very active, involved and accessible leader. Gow often personally e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
s the entire student body to inform them about student accomplishments and upcoming university events. An accomplished guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, he even performed at the Cartwright Center's "Cellar" restaurant for students after taking over as chancellor.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, including cultural events, regional and national conferences, prominent speakers, applied research, health care, professionals with varying expertise, a large workforce, and numerous faculty, staff and student community volunteers. The percentage of the university's budget that is state funded has declined over the past few years, as it has at many public universities throughout the nation. In 1996, students paid 35% of the cost of their education at UW–L and the state the remaining 65%. By 2005, the student share had grown to 51% as the state’s shrunk to 49%. UW–L’s tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
still remains among the lowest of any comprehensive public university in the Midwest, but the university has felt the strain caused by decreased public funding. The university's centennial campaign and "growth and access" agenda are both aimed at providing the necessary financial resources to deal with the decreased state funding.
The campus embraces diversity
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
, a commitment to increase minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
and international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
students, faculty and staff. Despite this, African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
enrollment decreased over the period between 1996 and 2007. The university hopes to change that in the future with the planned "growth and access" agenda, of which expanded campus diversity is a major goal.
The university's plans for the future revolve around increasing access to UW–L for talented students of all backgrounds and expanding student research and academic opportunities. UW–La Crosse will do this while providing facilities and faculty that foster a campus learning environment which expands scholarly activity and serves the needs of the student and the worldwide community. Both the centennial campaign and "growth and access" agenda are major tools meant to lead the university to these goals.
Academics
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
programs and emphases in eight disciplines. Microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
and exercise and sport science are designated as UW System Centers of Excellence, and the College of Business Administration holds national accreditation. UW–La Crosse also offers Wisconsin's only nationally-accredited degrees in recreation management and therapeutic recreation, the UW System's only nuclear medicine technology program, and the Midwest's only undergraduate archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
major.
The student body is ranked second only to the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in the UW system in composite ACT
ACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
score and average GPA. Of the 2005-06 freshman class, 67% of students received a score of 24 or higher on the ACT (600 or higher on the verbal and math components of the SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
). That places the majority of UW–L students in the top 20% (80th percentile) of students taking the ACT or SAT examinations. UW–La Crosse's admission requirements have become increasingly demanding in recent years.
Rankings and recognition
U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
ranked UW–L second among Midwestern public universities offering bachelor's and master's degrees in 2005, 2006, and 2007, and third in 2008. The university was recognized as a “best value” by Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Kiplinger's Personal Finance is a magazine that has been continuously published, on a monthly basis, from 1947 to the present day. It was the nation's first personal finance magazine, and claims to deliver "sound, unbiased advice in clear, concise language"...
, ranking 31st nationally among public colleges for out-of-state students and 33rd for in-state students in 2007. In 2007, the Princeton Review named UW–La Crosse one of America's "Best Midwestern Colleges" and an "America's Best Value College". Men's Health
Men's Health (magazine)
Men's Health , published by Rodale Inc. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, United States, is the world’s largest men’s magazine brand, with 44 editions around the world. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands. It covers fitness, nutrition, sexuality, lifestyle and other aspects of...
magazine ranked UW–L the 10th fittest campus in the country in 2005 and 12th fittest in 2006.
In 2005, UW–La Crosse's economics department was ranked among the nation's top universities for the number of contributions to Journal of Economic Education
Journal of Economic Education
The Journal of Economic Education offers original peer-reviewed articles on teaching economics. The inaugural issue appeared in the fall of 1969. At the time, G.L...
, a leading education journal in the discipline. The authors used the number of contributions by a department to measure that department's teaching quality under the assumption that schools with greater contributions to the economic education literature would have a comparative advantage
Comparative advantage
In economics, the law of comparative advantage says that two countries will both gain from trade if, in the absence of trade, they have different relative costs for producing the same goods...
in teaching economics. UW–L ranked 29th, tied with Harvard, MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, University of California Berkeley, and three other universities.
UW–L was ranked 1st in the nation for percentage of accounting students passing all four parts of the national CPA exam in their first attempt in 2002.
The UW–L physician assistant program, which is a partnership with the Gundersen Lutheran
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center a comprehensive health care network including one of the nation's largest multi-specialty group medical practices, regional community clinics, hospital, home care, behavioral health services, vision centers, pharmacies, and air and ground ambulances.Gundersen...
Medical Foundation and the Mayo School of Health Sciences
Mayo Medical School
Mayo Medical School is a part of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, United States. It grants degrees in medicine, and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
, had average scores on the national certifying examination that placed the program among the top five in the country in 2004.
Colleges and schools
College of Business Administration
The College of Business Administration (CBA) is professionally accredited by AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). Fewer than one-third of U.S. business school programs and only 15% of business school programs worldwide meet the standards of this accreditation. The CBA's goal is to foster the professional, academic and personal development of its students and so that they can succeed in the business world. It provides many undergraduate programs along with a graduate program in business administration.College of Liberal Studies
There are 56 undergraduate and seven graduate degree programs in the humanitiesHumanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, social sciences, arts and communication, education and interdisciplinary programs that comprise the College of Liberal Studies (CLS). The CLS is divided into two separate schools, the School of Arts & Communication and the School of Education.
The School of Arts and Communication has programs that concern the human condition as it is conveyed through artistic and communicative endeavors.
The School of Education represents a collection of teacher education programs housed in a variety of departments and colleges across the university. Teacher education programs are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary School's Higher Learning Commission.
College of Science and Health
Programs in the diverse disciplines of science, health, and mathematics are offered by the College of Science and Health, which offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. As of fall 2006 the college also offers a doctorateDoctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in physical therapy
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
.
Campus
Professional Grounds Management Society
The Professional Grounds Management Society is an individual membership society of grounds professionals advancing the grounds management profession through education and professional development in the United States....
.
To the east of campus are the La Crosse bluffs
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
, of which the most prominent is Grandad Bluff
Grandad Bluff
Grandad Bluff is a mesa on the east side of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Grandad Bluff is approximately 590 feet above the surrounding land and 1183 feet above sea level....
(mentioned in Life on the Mississippi
Life on the Mississippi
Life on the Mississippi is a memoir by Mark Twain, of his days as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River before the American Civil War, and also a travel book, recounting his trip along the Mississippi many years after the War....
by Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
), which seem to almost encase the campus. Downtown La Crosse and the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
are about a half mile west of campus.
Hoeschler Tower (1996), located in the heart of UW–L, is the focal point of campus and a popular destination and meeting place for students. It is also the site for many university and student events, such as concerts, fundraisers, the clocktower dance, memorial services, and the traditional hanging of the lantern.
Sidewalk chalk
Sidewalk chalk
Sidewalk chalk are typically large colored sticks of calcium sulfate mostly used for drawing on pavement or cement sidewalk. It is sometimes used to draw a four square court or a hopscotch board.-Use:...
is used as a means of communication among students throughout the warmer months. It is used by as a way of advertising future events, sharing personal ideas, and promoting political agendas, among other things.
Students can live in one of the university's residence halls. The newest residence hall, Eagle Hall, will open Fall 2011 and house 500 students and the new center for residence life. It was completed in 2006 and offers stunning views of the nearby bluffs. Two 1950s-era residence halls, Trowbridge Hall and Baird Hall, were demolished in spring 2009 to make way for a new academic building, Centennial Hall, which is slated for completion in the fall of 2011 and will be the largest academic building on campus. A new residence hall, to be the largest on campus and has yet to be named, is being built on what was Coate Field. Further construction plans include constructing a new student building to replace an aging Cartwright Center, a new science building to replace an aging Cowley Hall, and a parking structure to replace gravel parking lots on the north side of campus.
Notable and historic buildings
Maurice O. Graff Main Hall - Graff Main Hall (1909), the original building on campus, contains the Chancellor's Office, a 787-seat auditoriumAuditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
, classrooms, and the departments of Philosophy, Psychology and Modern Languages. It also contains other administrative and student services offices. It was designated an historic site by the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
in 1984 and is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as the Main Hall/La Crosse State Normal School
Main Hall/La Crosse State Normal School
Main Hall/La Crosse State Normal School was the original building for La Crosse Normal School now the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The building was constructed in 1909. The office of the chancellor and various administrative departments are in Main Hall. The building...
.
Wittich Hall - (1916) The original physical education building, houses faculty and staff offices, gymnasiums, a track, multipurpose and meeting rooms, a strength training center, a therapeutic/rehabilitation swimming pool, the Musculoskeletal Research Center, and the Special Populations Exercise Program. The building has been renovated for use in the preparation of special/adapted physical education teachers and therapeutic recreation specialists. Administrative, faculty, staff, and graduate assistant offices for the Department of Recreation Management and Therapeutic Recreation are located in Wittich Hall. The building is also the primary practice site for the Women's Intercollegiate Athletics Gymnastics team. Wittich Hall, the Physical Education Building of the La Crosse State Normal School, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1985 as the Physical Education Building/La Crosse State Normal School
Physical Education Building/La Crosse State Normal School
Physical Education Building/La Crosse State Normal School was the original physical education building at La Crosse Normal School now the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The building was constructed in 1916 and was named Wittich Hall after one of the school's physical...
.
Thomas Morris Hall - Morris Hall (1939, 1966, remodeled 1996), located at the corner of 16th and State Streets, first opened in January 1940 as the LaCrosse State Teachers College Training School Building
LaCrosse State Teachers College Training School Building
The La Crosse State Teachers College Training School Building was a building used to educate teachers at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The building is at 1615 State Street in La Crosse...
. Morris Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, Morris Hall houses the instructional and administrative facilities for the School of Education including the Department of Educational Studies, Master of Education-Professional Development Program (ME-PD), Learning Communities Programs, and Office of Student Teaching and Internships. In addition, Morris Hall houses the Office of Continuing Education and Extension as well as the Frederick Theater.
Board of Regents
In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...
. At the time of its construction, the library cost US $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2.5 million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
to construct. As of 2007, Murphy Library had a total of 691,282 books, bound periodicals, and government documents. The library also offers a range of electronic resources, such as journals and databases that can be accessed by students. In 2006, the library opened Murphy's Mug Café, which is managed by the campus dining services.
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
27 million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
Health Science Center (2000) was a project of the La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium. The building includes laboratory facilities for the Medical Laboratory Science, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, and Radiation Therapy programs. Biology and microbiology research laboratories are also available for medical research. Laboratories and classrooms, including distance education classrooms, are shared by all educational programs at the center. A student health center, including a physical therapy clinic, is located on the main floor and serves UW–L and neighboring Western Technical College
Western Technical College
Western Technical College is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System. The main campus is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin.The school was previously known as Western Wisconsin Technical College , but the "Wisconsin" part of the name was officially dropped on March 29, 2006.-Other...
students.
Cleary Alumni and Friends Center - The Cleary Alumni and Friends Center was built in 1995 by the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Foundation and donated to the university. Members of both the university and the greater La Crosse community meet and take advantage of the conference center, smaller conference rooms, and large banquet
Banquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
hall. The Cleary Center houses the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Foundation offices and the Alumni and University Relations advancement offices.
Recreational facilities
Cartwright Center - Cartwright Hall (1959 with additions in 1965 and 1985), is the student union. It is home to the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Bookstore, Textbook Services, TV and reading lounges, a computer lab, student organization offices and resources, the Involvement Center, Pride Center, and meeting rooms. Cartwright Center is also home to the Valhalla theater with a built-in stage and seating for 900 and the Port ‘O Call fireplace lounge.Veterans Memorial Stadium (La Crosse)
Veterans Memorial Stadium is a stadium in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is primarily used for American football and track and field, and is the home field of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse "Eagles". Veterans Memorial Stadium seats around 6,200 in the main grandstand and upon completion of the...
. Facilities include a swimming pool, basketball courts, wrestling room, dance studio, racquetball courts, and a 3800 square feet (353 m²) strength and conditioning center. The field house located in Mitchell Hall has a 4-lane 200-meter polyurethane
Polyurethane
A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization, by reacting a monomer with another monomer in the presence of a catalyst.Polyurethanes are...
track, long and triple jump pit, pole vault boxes, nets for tennis, badminton, volleyball, golf, softball/baseball hitting, and a climbing wall.
Recreational Eagle Center - The Rec Eagle Center (1997) is managed by the Student Activities Center and houses Intramural and Student Recreational Sports. The building includes a field house, a 200-meter elevated running track with warm-up areas, a strength and conditioning center, a climbing gym, a child care center, TV lounges, locker rooms/shower rooms, and various multi-purpose activity rooms. The Rec Eagle Center regularly hosts various campus activities, such as Rectoberfest and the 5K Turkey Trot Run/Walk.
Student life
As of the fall 2006 semester there were 10,052 students enrolled at UW–La Crosse, 60% of whom were female. There were 8,475 undergraduate students, 1,507 graduate students, 603 multicultural students, and 201 international students representing 37 states and 45 countries. UW–L has a student/faculty ratio of 24:1 and an average class size of 29. The university does not use teaching assistants to teach classes, which is common in many other large universities.Fitness and exercise is an important part of the campus culture at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. The student body is very active in athletics, whether they be varsity, intramural, or simply recreational. The Recreational Eagle Center is often filled with students trying to stay fit and healthy. Students take advantage of the many rustic
Rustic
Rustic can refer to:*rural*pastoralIn zoology:* Rustic moths, various noctuid moths of subfamilies Hadeninae and Noctuinae, including** The Rustic, * The Rustic , a brush-footed butterfly...
areas for hiking and biking in and around La Crosse. Renting a canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
or kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
from the Recreational Eagle Center to take on one of the region's many rivers is also a popular activity. In the winter, sleds are available to students. Pass-fail activity classes such as yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, strength training
Strength training
Strength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity or elastic/hydraulic forces to oppose muscle contraction...
, and rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
are often taken by students as a way to meet new people, explore new activities, and to get a workout. This dedication by UW–L students to health and exercise has been recognized by Men's Health
Men's Health (magazine)
Men's Health , published by Rodale Inc. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, United States, is the world’s largest men’s magazine brand, with 44 editions around the world. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands. It covers fitness, nutrition, sexuality, lifestyle and other aspects of...
magazine, which ranked UW–L the 10th fittest campuses in the country in 2005 and 12th fittest in 2006.
UW–La Crosse has a strong commitment to diversity and acceptance regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. In 2006, the school was named one of the nation's top 100 LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
-friendly universities by The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students. The rankings were determined by examining institutional policies, commitment and support, academic life, housing, student life, counseling and health services, campus safety, and recruitment and retention efforts.
Besides UW–La Crosse, the city of La Crosse is also home to two other institutions of higher learning, Viterbo University
Viterbo University
Viterbo University is a Roman Catholic liberal arts university located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States in the Diocese of La Crosse.-History:...
and Western Technical College
Western Technical College
Western Technical College is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System. The main campus is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin.The school was previously known as Western Wisconsin Technical College , but the "Wisconsin" part of the name was officially dropped on March 29, 2006.-Other...
. As a result, student-friendly activities and destinations dominate the city, including Grandad Bluff
Grandad Bluff
Grandad Bluff is a mesa on the east side of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Grandad Bluff is approximately 590 feet above the surrounding land and 1183 feet above sea level....
, Riverside Park and the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, Rudy's drive-in, The Pearl Ice Cream Shop, the many bars and clubs located on 3rd Street, the Rivoli movie theater, and the rest of downtown La Crosse tend to cater to college students.
Student organizations
The Physical Education Club, which was formed in 1912, is the longest continuously operating organization at the school. Today, UW–La Crosse offers over 175 different student organizations in a wide range of pursuits, everything from academic to religious, cultural to athletic, political to social, and many others.Greek life has a small role at UW–L. Only about 1% of males and 1% of females in the student body are members of a social fraternity or sorority
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. The four social fraternities represented on campus are Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Sigma Tau Gamma
Sigma Tau Gamma
Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity also named "Sig Tau" or "the Knights" is a U.S. all-male college secret-social fraternity founded on June 28, 1920 at University of Central Missouri...
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, Chi Phi
Chi Phi
The Chi Phi ' Fraternity is an American College Social Fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The oldest active organization that took part in the union was originally founded in 1824 at Princeton...
, and the two sororities represented are Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta is a women's fraternity founded on April 17, 1893 at Lombard College, Galesburg, Illinois. Alpha Xi Delta is one of the oldest women's fraternities as well as one of the ten founding fraternities of the National Panhellenic Conference...
and Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi International Women's Fraternity was founded at Syracuse University on September 18, 1872. Alpha Phi currently has 152 active chapters and over 200,000 initiated members. Its celebrated Founders' Day is October 10. It was the third Greek-letter organization founded for women. In Alpha...
.
Delta Sigma Phi is the only greek organization on campus with an actual fraternity house.
Additionally, the Eta Rho chapter of the Delta Sigma Pi
Delta Sigma Pi
ΔΣΠ ' is one of the largest co-ed professional business fraternities. Delta Sigma Pi was founded on November 7, 1907 at the School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance, New York University, New York, New York and is currently headquartered in Oxford, Ohio...
professional business fraternity exists at UW-L as a coed option for students of the College of Business Administration.
Student publications
The Racquet is a student-produced newspaper distributed weekly on Thursdays during the academic year. The paper, which began in 1910, will be entering its centennial academic year in the fall of 2010. The newspaper contains student-produced articles about campus, community, state, and national events. The Racquet is composed of two major divisions: news and features. Campus, city, and sports news are managed by the news editor and assistant news editors; features stories, which are included in That's Life, Spotlight, Health, Business, Technology, and other special sections, are handled by the features editor and assistants.The Racquet's staff includes the two division editors, assistant editors, copy editors, the multimedia editor, graphics designers, the advertising director, advertising representatives, a publisher, an online editor, and a managing editor. The editor in chief is The Racquet's chief executive officer, ultimately responsible for all editorial and business decisions and for determing a "vision" for The Racquet. The correspondence staff includes paid student writers and photographers (currently 38 in total). The vast majority of The Racquet's annual budget is generated internally, but a small portion is contributed via student fees.
The Second Supper
The Second Supper is a web site and newspaper published in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The newspaper is published weekly from its headquarters in Downtown La Crosse....
is published weekly from its headquarters in downtown La Crosse, serving western Wisconsin through the cities of La Crosse and Eau Claire.
The Catalyst is a student-produced and edited quarterly publication of student submitted essays, short stories, and poetry. Each edition has a different theme. The Catalyst intends to provide a channel for creative intellectual inquiry in order to provoke campus and community discussion.
Symbols and traditions
The university's school colors are maroonMaroon (color)
Maroon is a dark red color.-Etymology:Maroon is derived from French marron .The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.-Maroon :...
and gray. The current university mascot, which was adopted in 1989, is the Eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
. UW–L men's athletics teams had previously been known as the Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
(1937–1989), Red Raiders, Hurricanes, Racqueteers, and Peds and Maroons. The women's athletic teams were known as the Roonies, derived from the university's school colors of maroon and gray, since the inception of female intercollegiate competition in the early 1970s until November 1990 when they also adopted the Eagle mascot. Since the adoption of the Eagle mascot, the band's mascot has been the Screaming Eagle, having been known as the Marching Chiefs before that.
The Eagle mascot
UW–La Crosse's athletic teams sport a contemporary "Eagle in the L" and caricatureCaricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
which was created in 1989, right before the fall sports teams took to the field as the Eagles for the first time. It was created by Dave Christianson, a 1973 art major graduate who penned the images after the UW–L men's teams adopted the Eagle mascot. Women's teams started sporting the Eagles moniker in November 1990. Both the "Eagle in the L" and the eagle caricature were unveiled in August 1989. The UW-L Eagle mascot was named "Colbert" in a vote by students during the 2008-09 school year. The original vote declared that Eddie the Eagle be the name of the mascot, however the NRA mascot is also Eddie the Eagle and there was potential for a lawsuit. As a result of a second vote, Colbert was chosen.
UW–La Crosse Fight Song
Tune: La Crosse by Joyce GrillWe're going to cheer, La Crosse,
Because we're here, La Crosse,
Let us make it clear.
We're going to fight, La Crosse,
With all our might, La Crosse,
Victory is near.
So let's dig in, La Crosse,
We're going to win, La Crosse,
Go Maroon and Gray.
We're going to fight, win,
show that we're the best,
because we are La Crosse, La Crosse.
Hear the UW–La Crosse Fight Song
UW–La Crosse Alma Mater
Tune: Far Above Cayuga's WatersMorning sun greets many banners,
on its westward way;
Fair to us above all others,
waves Maroon and Gray.
Colors dear, flag we love,
float for aye, old La Crosse to thee;
May we all be ever loyal,
to thy memory.
Hanging of the Lantern
The Hanging of the Lantern's origin dates back to 1913 when UW–L students would hang small lanterns in house windows near campus. In 1931, longtime faculty member Orris O. White began a tradition of hanging one large lantern in the Maurice O. Graff Main Hall tower, above the building's south entrance. The act welcomed alumni who had returned home. "We'll hang the lantern in the old college tower over the south door. You won't need to look for the key – the door will be open," declared White.Since 1931, a lantern has hung each Homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
. The lantern hung on the south side of Graff Main Hall until 1997 when it was moved to the Hoeschler Tower in the center of campus. While the tower's lantern hangs year-round, it is only lit during Homecoming.
Lighting of the "L"
UW–La Crosse's other tradition, the Lighting of the "L," began in 1935 after Lucifer rose again as a college prank. F. Clark Carnes and Bernie Brown were bored on a foggy day, so they hiked up Miller's Bluff, which is north of Grandad BluffGrandad Bluff
Grandad Bluff is a mesa on the east side of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Grandad Bluff is approximately 590 feet above the surrounding land and 1183 feet above sea level....
. They gathered and piled brush in the shape of a 30 feet (9.1 m) by 15 feet (4.6 m) "L."
Brown and Carnes then decided to start the brush "L" on fire. They headed down the bluff to a gas station and returned with a five-gallon can to douse the brush. Brown and Carnes could see the police lights heading toward the bluff, so they lit the brush and slipped down the bluff toward campus before the police could locate them. When Brown and Carnes reached Veterans Memorial Stadium
Veterans Memorial Stadium (La Crosse)
Veterans Memorial Stadium is a stadium in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is primarily used for American football and track and field, and is the home field of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse "Eagles". Veterans Memorial Stadium seats around 6,200 in the main grandstand and upon completion of the...
, the fog lifted and allowed the crowd to see the "L."
In recent years, the "L" has been lit by electricity and shines from Grandad Bluff
Grandad Bluff
Grandad Bluff is a mesa on the east side of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Grandad Bluff is approximately 590 feet above the surrounding land and 1183 feet above sea level....
.
Athletics
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, cross-country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, gymnastics, and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, competing in the WIAC
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. As the name implies, member teams are located in the state of Wisconsin, although there are three associate members from Minnesota and one from Michigan...
, which is in the NCAA's
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division III. UW–L holds membership affiliation in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association. The gymnastics team has won a total of 12 national titles, a record in the NCGA, as well as a record 20 WIAC titles. They have also been a rising contender in the Division III wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
ranks the past couple of years. The university also has many different sports represented at the club level, including men's and women's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
(referred to as La Crosse lacrosse), men's and women's rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, men's soccer and many others.
UW–L has won 26 men's track & field titles in school history, the most in Division III history. The Eagles have won 14 indoor and 10 outdoor championships, both ranking first in the nation. With their national indoor and outdoor titles in 2006, the Eagles have now swept the indoor and outdoor titles in the same season 10 times (1988, 1991–1993, 1997, 2001–04 and, 2006).
The university won the NCAA Division III "triple crown" in 2001-02, claiming the men's cross country title, men's indoor track & field title and men's outdoor track & field championship. With the national titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, UW–L holds the distinction of being only one of two NCAA Division III institution to win the "triple crown" (The other being North Central College during 2009-10).
The Eagles also captured the 2005 NCAA Division III Cross Country title, the third in school history (1996, 2001).
UW–L won its sixth consecutive National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championship in 2006. The Eagles have won an NCGA record 11 national titles (1986, 1988, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2006) overall.
The Eagles won seven Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. As the name implies, member teams are located in the state of Wisconsin, although there are three associate members from Minnesota and one from Michigan...
(WIAC) titles in 2005-06 and finished in the top-four in 16 of 18 sports. UW–L also had nine WIAC Scholar-Athletes last year and eight WIAC Coach of the Year honors. The Eagles had 203 All-WIAC honors in 2005-06.
The UW–L football team plays its home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium
Veterans Memorial Stadium (La Crosse)
Veterans Memorial Stadium is a stadium in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is primarily used for American football and track and field, and is the home field of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse "Eagles". Veterans Memorial Stadium seats around 6,200 in the main grandstand and upon completion of the...
. As of June 2008, the old football stadium and outdoor track is being replaced by a new state of the art timed outdoor track, a football turf field, a new 10,000+ seat stadium/press box/field lights, plus surrounding soccer/athletic fields. It is being paid for by sponsors and donations to UW–L.
Notable alumni
- Jerry AugustineJerry AugustineGerald Lee Augustine is a retired American professional baseball player who was a pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1975-1984 for the Milwaukee Brewers....
, MLB player - Mark BellingMark BellingMark Belling is a conservative radio talk show host for 1130 WISN in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Belling hosts a three-hour weekday radio program, The Mark Belling Late Afternoon Show, which is regularly rated No. 1 for the afternoon-drive time slot...
, conservativeConservatismConservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
talk showTalk showA talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host - Will BerzinskiWill BerzinskiWill Berzinski was a halfback in the National Football League. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1956 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams and would play that season with the Philadelphia Eagles.-References:...
, NFL player - Sharon Weston BroomeSharon Weston BroomeSharon Weston Broome is a Democratic member of the Louisiana Senate, representing the 15th District since she won a special election in December 2004. She serves as President Pro Tempore. Earlier she was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1991 through 2004...
, Louisiana legislator - Roman BrummRoman BrummRoman Brumm was a player in the National Football League. He first played with the Racine Legion during the 1924 NFL season. The following season he played with the Milwaukee Badgers before returning to Racine, by the re-named the Tornadoes, for the 1926 NFL season.-References:...
, NFL player - Gerald W. ClusenGerald W. ClusenGerald W. Clusen is a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.-Biography:A native of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Clusen graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a B.S. in computer science with a minor in mathematics. In civilian life, Clusen worked for Kimberly-Clark for more than 28...
, U.S. Navy admiral - George DahlgrenGeorge DahlgrenGeorge Dahlgren was a player in the National Football League for the Kenosha Maroons, Rock Island Independents, and the Hammond Pros from 1924 to 1926 as a guard and tackle...
, NFL player (did not graduate) - Ernest EmersonErnest EmersonErnest R. Emerson is an American custom knifemaker, martial artist, and edged-weapons expert. Originally an engineer and machinist in the aerospace industry, Emerson became a knifemaker known for making decorative knives but later became better known for his combat knives, eventually founding a...
, knife maker, martial artist, and CEO of Emerson Knives - John GardJohn GardJohn Gard was a Republican member of the Wisconsin State Assembly representing the 89th Assembly District from 1987 until 2007. He served as Speaker of the State Assembly from 2003 until 2007....
, 1986, former SpeakerSpeaker (politics)The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Wisconsin State AssemblyWisconsin State AssemblyThe Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.... - Rodney R. HannulaRodney R. HannulaRodney R. Hannula is a retired Major General in the National Guard of the United States.-Biography:Hannula graduated from high school in Saxon, Wisconsin in 1958...
, U.S. National Guard Major General - Don HerbertDon HerbertDonald Jeffrey Herbert , better known as Mr. Wizard, was an American television personality...
, host of the Mr. Wizard televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show - Don IversonDon IversonDonald Iverson is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s.Iverson was born, raised and has lived most of his life in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He attended La Crosse Central High School, where he was a star quarterback on the football team and member of the golf team. He...
, 1968, professional golfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er on the PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America... - Dan KapankeDan KapankeDaniel E. Kapanke is a former Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 32nd District from 2004 until losing his seat to Jennifer Shilling in the 2011 recall elections.-Early life, education and career:...
, Wisconsin Senate - Don KindtDon KindtDonald John "Don" Kindt, Sr. was a defensive back and running back for the Chicago Bears from 1947 to 1955.Career Stats:108 Games played, 21 Int, 10 Forced Fumbles, 1 Defensive TD, Rushing; 172 Attempts for 586 Yards and 4 TD, 43 Catches for 506 Yards and 2 TDHe was elected to the Wisconsin...
, 1980, NFL player - Don Kindt, Jr.Don Kindt, Jr.Don Kindt, Jr. is a former tight end in the National Football League. He played with the Chicago Bears during the 1987 NFL season.He is the son of former NFL Pro Bowler Don Kindt.-References:...
, NFL player - Tom KlawitterTom KlawitterThomas Carl Klawitter is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played part of in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins. He appeared in seven games, including two starts, without a decision....
, MLB player - Craig KusickCraig KusickCraig Robert Kusick was an American first baseman and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played nearly his entire career from to for the Minnesota Twins.His son Craig Kusick, Jr...
, 1972, baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player - Craig Kusick, Jr.Craig Kusick, Jr.Craig Robert Kusick, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the Arena Football League. He played four seasons, two for the Milwaukee Mustangs and two for the Grand Rapids Rampage...
, Melberger AwardMelberger AwardThe Melberger Award is given annually to an outstanding U.S. college football player in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The award is named after Clifford Melberger and is presented by Diversified Information Technologies, which Mr...
winner and Arena Football League QuarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... - Sandra LeeSandra Lee (author)Sandra Lee is an American television cook and author. She is known for her "Semi-Homemade" cooking concept, which involves 70 percent pre-packaged products with 30 percent fresh items.-Early life:...
, 1987, host of The Food Network's Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee and author - MaryAnn LippertMaryAnn LippertMaryAnn T. Lippert is a Wisconsin health educator, health administrator, and Republican politician who served one term as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. She is currently executive assistant to the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.- Background :Born in...
, Wisconsin legislator and educator - Ace LoomisAce LoomisAce Darl Loomis was a professional American football defensive back and a halfback in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Loomis was drafted in the fifth round of the 1951 NFL Draft out of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse by the Cleveland Browns...
, 1950, NFL player - Mike MaslowskiMike MaslowskiMichael John Maslowski is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs. He attended the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.-Amateur career:...
, National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) linebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... - Ric MathiasRic MathiasRic Mathias was a player in the National Football League for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1998 as a defensive back. He played at the collegiate level at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.-References:...
, 1997 NFL player - Greg MattisonGreg MattisonGreg Mattison is an American football coach and former player in the United States. He is the current defensive coordinator for the University of Michigan football team....
, 1970, NCAA and NFL football coach - John L. MerktJohn L. MerktJohn L. Merkt was an American politician.Merkt served as local ward committeeman from 1974 to 1976. He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1976 and served until 1988.-Biography:...
, 1971, Wisconsin legislator - Leland E. MulderLeland E. Mulder-Biography:Mulder was born on June 9, 1925 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He died on January 1, 1993.-Career:...
, member of the Wisconsin State AssemblyWisconsin State AssemblyThe Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.... - Tom NewberryTom NewberryThomas J. "Tom" Newberry is a former American football guard who played ten seasons in the National Football League with the Los Angeles Rams for 9 years and the Pittsburgh Steelers for 1 year. He was a starter for the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. He was a 2 time Pro Bowl and NFL All-Pro offensive...
, 1975, NFL offensive Lineman - James D. H. PetersonJames D. H. PetersonJames D. H. Peterson was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.-Biography:Peterson was born on August 7, 1894 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Washington and Lee University. During World War I, he served with the...
, member of the Wisconsin State AssemblyWisconsin State AssemblyThe Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.... - Robert QuackenbushRobert Quackenbush (Wisconsin politician)Robert Quackenbush was a Wisconsin politician.Born in Sparta, Wisconsin, he served in the United States Military during World War II. Quackenbush graduated from University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1971 until 1983.-Notes:...
, 1950, Wisconsin politician - Dick RitgerDick RitgerDick Ritger , of River Falls, Wisconsin, was a dominating right-handed ten-pin bowler in the Professional Bowlers Association , and now runs Dick Ritger's Bowling Camp.-PBA career:...
, Professional ten-pin bowlerTen-pin bowlingTen-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
, PBAProfessional Bowlers AssociationThe Professional Bowlers Association is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA membership consists of almost 4,300 members worldwide...
Hall of Famer, bowling coach - Andrew RockAndrew RockAndrew Rock is an American sprinter who specializes in the 400 meter dash.-Early career:Rock was born in Marshfield, Wisconsin, and grew up in Stratford, Wisconsin, where he graduated from high school in 2000...
, 2004 OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Gold Medalist in Track & Field - Vinny RottinoVinny RottinoVincent Antonio Rottino is an Italian–American professional baseball catcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. He generally plays at catcher, first base, and outfield.He graduated from St...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) player with Florida MarlinsFlorida MarlinsThe Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at... - William H. StevensonWilliam H. StevensonWilliam Henry Stevenson was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin for the years 1941-1949, he served as a Republican....
, 1912, U.S. CongressmanUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.... - Marlin SchneiderMarlin SchneiderMarlin Schneider was a Democratic Party member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 72nd Assembly District from 1970 to 2010.He is known by his nickname: "Snarlin' Marlin."...
, 1965, member of the Wisconsin State AssemblyWisconsin State AssemblyThe Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.... - Bill SchroederBill SchroederWilliam Fredrich Schroeder is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL. He attended Sheboygan South High School and then went on to the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he starred in track and field. He last played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004...
, 1994, NFL wide receiverWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... - Webb SchultzWebb SchultzWilbert Carl "Webb" Schultz was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Schultz played for the Chicago White Sox in . In 1 career game, he had a 0-0 record, going one inning, and giving up one run and one hit. He batted and threw left-handed.Schultz was born in Wautoma, Wisconsin and died in Delavan,...
, MLB player - Robert SchulzRobert SchulzRobert "Bob" Schulz is a jazz and Dixieland jazz cornetist. Schulz was born in Wonewoc, Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. He was a band director for 17 years. Then, in 1979, he joined the Turk Murphy Jazz Band of San Francisco. He would stay with them for eight years,...
, an American Frisco Jazz cornetCornetThe cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
player - Richard SeversonRichard SeversonRichard Severson was a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force.-Biography:Severson is a native of Brooklyn, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a B.D. in Education.-Career:...
, 1971, U.S. Air Force general - Wayne Smith, NFL player
- F. Richard SpencerF. Richard SpencerFrank Richard Spencer is an American Roman Catholic priest. Currently a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and U.S. Army chaplain, he was appointed an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services by Pope Benedict XVI on May 22, 2010.-Early life and service:Spencer was born in...
, Roman Catholic bishop - William H. StevensonWilliam H. StevensonWilliam Henry Stevenson was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin for the years 1941-1949, he served as a Republican....
, member of the United States CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.... - Gregg UnderheimGregg UnderheimGregg Underheim was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 54th District in and around Oshkosh. He served from 1987 until 2007 and was chair of the Assembly Health Committee for 12 of his 20 years in the State Assembly...
, former member of the Wisconsin State AssemblyWisconsin State AssemblyThe Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.... - Jeremy UnertlJeremy UnertlJeremy Dale Unertl is an safety with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
, 2001, Arena Football League player - Joel WilliamsJoel WilliamsJoel Williams is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles from 1979 to 1989. He played college football at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse....
, 1978, NFL linebacker
Notable faculty
- Alan I. BigelAlan I. BigelAlan I. Bigel has been teaching at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse since 1984.He is a native of Brooklyn, New York. He received his B.A. from Brooklyn College in New York City in 1976 and his M.A. as well as his Ph.D. from The New School for Social Research in New York City...
- Professor of Political SciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior... - Steve DoyleSteve Doyle (Wisconsin politician)Steve Doyle is a lawyer and Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, first elected to represent the 94th district in 2011. He represents suburban La Crosse County including Onalaska, Holmen, West Salem and Shelby....
- member of the Wisconsin State AssemblyWisconsin State AssemblyThe Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
, Professor of Political SciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior... - Roger HarringRoger HarringRoger Harring is a former American football player and coach. He won 340 games over forty two seasons at both the high school and college levels. After graduating from University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, Harring coached high school football in Wisconsin...
- Football coach - Lalita Pandit - Professor of EnglishEnglish studiesEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
- John MedingerJohn MedingerJohn Donald Medinger is a La Crosse, Wisconsin area politician and lecturer at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. He served as the 39th mayor of La Crosse from 1997-2005.-Political life:...
- Former Mayor of La Crosse and former member of the Wisconsin State AssemblyWisconsin State AssemblyThe Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
- Professor of Political SciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior... - Clyde B. Smith - Football coach
- Clark Van GalderClark Van Galder-External links:*...
- Football and basketball coach
See also
- University of Wisconsin SystemUniversity of Wisconsin SystemThe University of Wisconsin System is a university system of public universities in the state of Wisconsin. It is one of the largest public higher education systems in the country, enrolling more than 182,000 students each year and employing more than 32,000 faculty and staff statewide...
- Wisconsin State Universities
- Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceWisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceThe Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. As the name implies, member teams are located in the state of Wisconsin, although there are three associate members from Minnesota and one from Michigan...
- La Crosse, WisconsinLa Crosse, WisconsinLa Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...