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University of Wisconsin–Whitewater

Former names	Whitewater Normal School (1868–1927) Whitewater Teachers College (1927–1951) Wisconsin State College–Whitewater (1951–1964) Wisconsin State University–Whitewater (1964–1971)
Type	Public university
Established	April 21, 1868; 156 years ago (1868-04-21)
Parent institution	University of Wisconsin System
Accreditation	HLC
Chancellor	Corey A. King
Provost	John Chenoweth
Students	11,631 (fall 2024)
Undergraduates	9,997
Postgraduates	1,634
Location	Whitewater, Wisconsin, United States 42°50′18″N 88°44′36″W / 42.838339°N 88.743246°W / 42.838339; -88.743246
Campus	Distant town, 400 acres (1.6 km)
Other campuses	Janesville
Newspaper	Royal Purple
Colors	Purple and white
Nickname	Warhawks
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III - WIAC
Mascot	Willie Warhawk
Website	www.uww.edu

The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (UW–Whitewater or UWW) is a public university in Whitewater, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System. As of Fall 2024, the university offers 47 undergraduate majors and 13 graduate programs and enrolls approximately 11,000 students. Approximately 1,400 faculty and staff are employed by the university, and the student body consists of individuals from about 40 US states and 30 countries. After the 2018 UW System Restructuring, the University of Wisconsin-Rock County began operating as the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater at Rock County, a 2-year branch campus located in Janesville, Wisconsin.

History

On April 21, 1868, the school was named Whitewater Normal School and graduated its first class of teachers in June 1870.

Salisbury wrote of a unique tradition of the school known as "Students' Day." One day during the term, faculty would, unannounced, be entirely absent from the school. Once students recognized that the day must be "Students' Day", they would elect a President and Faculty from amongst themselves who would take up the regular duties of the day. The annual catalogue stated the purpose of "Students' Day" as the following: "The object of thus putting the institution under the care of the students is to test their moral culture, their executive ability, and their devotion to their work."

In 1927, the school received authority to grant baccalaureate degrees in education and its name was changed to Whitewater Teachers College. With the addition of the liberal arts programs in 1951 it became Wisconsin State College–Whitewater, and was later designated a Wisconsin State University in 1964, the Wisconsin State University–Whitewater.

In 1971, after the merger of the former University of Wisconsin and the former Wisconsin State Universities, the school became part of the University of Wisconsin System and has been called the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater since.

Campus

The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater encompasses 400 acres in southeastern Wisconsin. The iconic landmark of the university's campus, Old Main, was destroyed by fire on February 7, 1970. The school's oldest building, it was the only one that had been part of the original campus. The east wing of Old Main, now called Hyer Hall, is all that remains of the building. It houses many of the university's administrative offices, in addition to classrooms and lecture halls. After the fire that destroyed Old Main, the building's carillon bell was removed and installed in front of the Alumni Center. Now, an electronic carillon bell rings regularly throughout the day.

The James R. Connor University Center occupies the heart of campus. The "UC" contains a bowling alley, an art gallery, a stage for live music, a coffee shop, and several dining options. Young Auditorium, the largest performing arts venue on campus, hosts dance, music, theatre, comedy, and other university events. The UW-Whitewater Nature Preserve is located in the northeast corner of campus and consists of 110 acres of various ecosystems such as woodlands, wetlands, and prairie. In addition to serving as an outdoor classroom and laboratory, the preserve includes recreational trails for running, hiking, cross-country skiing, or biking.

Student life

The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater has over 180 recognized student clubs and organizations.

Student Government

Whitewater Student Government (WSG) is the students' governing body. WSG is split into two branches of government, the Executive Branch headed by the President and the Legislative Branch, also known as the Senate, headed by the Speaker of the Senate. The WSG Senate will recommend the annual Allocable Segregated Fee every fall semester to be presented to the Chancellor of the institution, pending final approval from the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. The power to determine a recommended allocation to WSG is vested in the Segregated University Fee Allocation Committee(SUFAC).

Greek life

As of Fall 2024, there are 24 Greek organizations recognized by the university. They fall under 4 different Greek Councils, the Interfraternity Council(IFC), the Intercultural Greek Council(IGC), National PanHellenic Council(NPHC), and the PanHellenic Council(PHC).

Media

The Royal Purple is the university's independent student newspaper; its first issue was printed in 1901.

UWW-TV is the university's student-run television channel. It is located on channel 100.1 in high definition. It is also available around the city of Whitewater on Spectrum cable channel 989.

91.7 The Edge is the campus's student-run radio station, broadcasting out of Andersen Library since 1966.

Academics

The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater is split into four undergraduate colleges at the Whitewater Campus and one at the Rock County Campus and a graduate school. These include the:

• College of Arts and Communication
• College of Business and Economics
• College of Education and Professional Studies
• College of Integrated Studies
• College of Letters and Sciences
• School of Graduate Studies

Athletics

UW–Whitewater is a member of NCAA Division III for athletics. It is a part of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). The university's athletics teams are nicknamed the Warhawks and are represented by the colors purple and white.

In the 2013–14 academic year, the Warhawks won the men's football, basketball, and baseball championships. UW-Whitewater is the first school in NCAA history in any division to attain such a three-sport sweep in the same academic year.

One of UW-Whitewater's programs for students with disabilities, Cornerstones for Success, provides athletes with disabilities the opportunity to share their experiences in sports and everyday life. UW-Whitewater also has wheelchair basketball programs for men and women; both teams have won national championships.

Notable people

Alumni

Faculty

• Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin, founder of The Journal of Geology
• Brian Coppola, noted chemist
• Andrea Nye, professor of religious studies
• Alison Townsend, poet
• Warren S. Johnson, professor of natural science

References

1. ^ "University of Wisconsin-Whitewater". National Center for Education Statistics.
2. "University of Wisconsin-Whitewater".
3. "Current Enrollment Statistics, Fall 2024" (PDF). University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Office of the Registrar. December 11, 2024. p. 16. Retrieved December 12, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
4. "Top Work Places – University Of Wisconsin-Whitewater". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
5. Salisbury, Albert (1893). Historical sketches of the first quarter-century of the State Normal School at Whitewater, Wisconsin. Tracy, Gibbs, & Co. p. 198.
6. Pope, Emily. "University of Wisconsin System Overview" (PDF). Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
7. Edgar, Kayla. "History Recalled". Royal Purple. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
8. "Carillon bell system dedicated Nov. 2". Retrieved November 13, 2016.
9. "University Center - University of Wisconsin Whitewater". Retrieved November 13, 2016.
10. "About Us - University of Wisconsin-Whitewater". Retrieved November 13, 2016.
11. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 15, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
12. "Whitewater Student Government". Whitewater Student Government. December 12, 2024.
13. "Segregated University Fee Allocation Committee". Segregated University Fee Allocation Committee. Retrieved December 12, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
14. "UW-Whitewater Greek Life Guide". University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Greek Advising Team. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
15. "About Royal Purple". Royal Purple News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
16. "Home UWW-TV". Retrieved July 9, 2018.
17. "About - The Edge". Retrieved November 13, 2016.
18. Reischel, Rob (May 30, 2014). "In Southern Wisconsin, a Winner Takes All". The New York Times. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
19. "Wheelchair Athletics". University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
20. "Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin" (PDF). National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
21. "Brian Coppola". American Chemical Society. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
22. Dermot Moran (2008). The Routledge Companion to Twentieth Century Philosophy. Routledge. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-134-42403-0.
23. "Alison Townsend". University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
24. "Multi-Zone Temperature Control System". American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Retrieved August 10, 2015.

External links

• Official website

• University of Wisconsin–Whitewater
• Public universities and colleges in Wisconsin
• University of Wisconsin System campuses
• Education in Walworth County, Wisconsin
• Universities and colleges established in 1868
• Buildings and structures in Walworth County, Wisconsin
• Tourist attractions in Walworth County, Wisconsin
• 1868 establishments in Wisconsin
• Whitewater, Wisconsin
• Universities and colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission