University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point

The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (UW–Stevens Point or UWSP) is a public university in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and grants associate, baccalaureate, and master's degrees, as well as doctoral degrees in audiology and educational sustainability. As of 2018, UW-Stevens Point has merged with UW-Stevens Point at Wausau and UW-Stevens Point at Marshfield.

University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
TypeState university
Established1894
ChancellorBernie Patterson
Academic staff
450
Students7,725
Location
Stevens Point
,
Wisconsin
,
United States

44°31′30″N 89°34′05″W
CampusSmall town, 400 acres (162 ha)
ColorsPurple and gold[1]
   
AthleticsNCAA Division III – WIAC
NicknamePointers
AffiliationsUW system
MascotStevie Pointer
Websitewww.uwsp.edu
Old Main is the current Administration Building
Welcome Sign

History

After securing land and funding from the City of Stevens Point and Portage County and winning the right to host the new normal school, Stevens Point Normal School opened on September 17, 1894 with 201 students.[2] In addition to teacher preparation, "domestic science" (home economics) and conservation education were offered; the latter formed the basis for the College of Natural Resources.

In 1927, Stevens Point Normal School became Central State Teachers College and began offering four-year teaching degrees. When post-World War II enrollment became less centered on teacher training and more focused on liberal arts education, the Wisconsin State Legislature intervened, changing the school's name to Wisconsin State College–Stevens Point with the authority to grant bachelor's degrees in liberal arts.

In 1940, William C. Hansen began his 22-year tenure as the institution's longest-serving president.[3] Ever larger numbers of students in the 1950s and 1960s led to construction on campus throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. It was during this period, in 1964, that the college was elevated to university status as Wisconsin State University–Stevens Point and began offering graduate degrees. Seven years later, the Wisconsin State Universities merged into the University of Wisconsin system, and the school adopted its current name. UW-Stevens Point has more than 77,000 alumni. More than half of these alumni live in Wisconsin. In 1968, UW-Stevens Point formed the Northwoods battalion, an ROTC unit for the United States army.

Lee S. Dreyfus became chancellor in 1974 before becoming Wisconsin's 40th governor. Governor Dreyfus was inaugurated on the lawn in front of Old Main on the UW-Stevens Point campus in 1979.

In 2007, a sustainability task force was created to help achieve the future goal of a carbon neutral campus.

In 2009, Chancellor Linda Bunnell resigned after a student vote of no-confidence.[4] The vote in part was called because of an automobile accident she failed to report and allegations of drunken driving.[5] Bernie Patterson became chancellor in July 2010.[6]

The campus hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League for their first training camp in 1995. It was part of what then was known as the Cheese League, a collection of teams that conducted training camp in Wisconsin. Since 1996, the Jaguars have conducted their training camp in Jacksonville.

Campus
The Communication Arts Building, the headquarters for the WWSP-FM trivia contest

The university is in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, a block north of State Route 66 and southwest of Interstate 39/U.S. Route 51. It is a 406-acre (164 ha) campus with 43 buildings, including a 280-acre (113 ha) nature preserve and 25-acre (10.1 ha) lake.

The Greek community on campus consists of four sororities and four fraternities. All the Greek organizations meet and collaborate as one, known as the Inter-Greek Council. The sororities on campus are Delta Phi Epsilon, Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Phi Omega, and Sigma Delta Rho. The fraternities on campus are Phi Sigma Phi, Sigma Tau Gamma, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Theta Xi.

The Schmeeckle Reserve, a nature reserve, is on campus.

Academics

The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point offers more than 120 undergraduate programs in 48 majors and 78 minors. These programs are housed within four colleges:

  • College of Fine Arts and Communication, which includes opportunities in the visual and performing arts;
  • College of Letters and Science, which includes disciplines in the natural and social sciences, mathematics, computing and humanities;
  • College of Natural Resources, with disciplines such as forestry and wildlife ecology; and
  • College of Professional Studies, featuring business and economics, health-related fields and the School of Education
    New Chemistry Biology Building

Rankings

In 2018 U.S. News and World Report ranked UW-Stevens Point 12th among regional universities in the Midwest.

Satellite locations

UW-Stevens Point has two satellite campuses, in Marshfield and Wausau.

The university has three off-site field stations: Central Wisconsin Environmental Station (CWES) at Amherst Junction, Treehaven near Tomahawk, and the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility at Bayfield. CWES is on 200 acres near Sunset Lake, 17 miles east of Stevens Point. Treehaven is between Tomahawk and Rhinelander, Wisconsin on 1,400 acres. The Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility is at 36445 State Highway 13, 1.5 miles west of Red Cliff on Highway 13, near Lake Superior.

Centers

The university maintains a wide range of centers and affiliations, including the Museum of Natural History, Waste Education Center, Water and Environmental Analysis Lab, Aber Suzuki Center, Allen F. Blocher Planetarium, Arthur J. Pejsa Observatory, Center for Collaborative & Interactive Technologies, Center for Economic Education, CPS Café, Central Wisconsin Economic Research Bureau, Gesell Institute, Center for Athletic Scheduling, Center for the Small City and Community Research Center.

Sustainability

UW-Stevens Point works towards waste reduction and diversion and recognizes the need to move toward a zero-waste campus by continuing to reduce, reuse and recycle more each year. The university is committed to reducing energy consumption through conservation and efficiency, and offsetting its total carbon emissions through green electricity purchases, composting and managed forests.

Media

Radio station

WWSP-FM is the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point's alternative radio station. Operating at 30,000 watts, WWSP broadcasts commercial free on 89.9FM 24/7/365. '90FM' is the largest student-run radio station in the Midwest and hosts the world's largest trivia contest,[7] which was founded in 1969 and has since become a tradition for the university and the community. Hundreds of teams with thousands of members participate in the contest every year, usually in April.

Television station
SPTV
Stevens Point, WI
ChannelsAnalog: 98 (Cable television)
Branding"SPTV"
Ownership
OwnerStudent organization
History
Founded1972
Former call signs
CTV, SETV, SVO, STV
Links
Websitewww.uwsp.edu/sptv/Pages/default.aspx

SPTV is a student-operated television station at UW Stevens Point. It is broadcast on channel 98 and online on SPTV's website. SPTV's office and studios are in the Communication Arts Center on the UWSP campus. The station airs news, sports, and entertainment shows.

Newspaper

The Pointer, the weekly student newspaper, is free to all tuition-paying students.

Athletics

Student athletes in 20 sports at UW-Stevens Point participate in the NCAA Division III. The teams are members of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). UW-Stevens Point has 13 NCAA Division III National Team Titles and 49 NCAA Division III Individual Titles, and is ranked 35th out of 441 NCAA schools. In 2019 it received the Learfield Sports Director's Cup. Students can also participate in 26 "club" sports and dozens of intramural offerings.

Football

The UW-Stevens Point football team holds the annual Spud Bowl game sponsored by local potato farms and brewery companies as the first home game of the season. The Pointers also hold the annual Pink Game, which benefits the Susan G. Komen Foundation of Central Wisconsin, and the Circle of Friends Foundation, which provides opportunities to kids with cancer. The Pointers play their home games at Goerke Field.

Basketball

The Pointers men's and women's basketball teams have combined for six NCAA Division III titles. The women's basketball team won the national title in 2002, 15 years after its first NCAA Division III title in 1987. The men's basketball team won back-to-back NCAA Division III titles in 2004 and 2005,[8] and won the championship again in 2010 and 2015.[8] The men's basketball team holds the WIAC record for the longest streak of attaining the playoffs, at nine years.

Hockey

The Pointers men's hockey team has six NCAA Division III titles. The team won the national title in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2016 and 2019. The men’s team plays home games at the K.B. Willett Ice Arena.

Baseball

The UW-Stevens Point baseball team has had five NCAA Division III World Series appearances. In 2007, the Pointers were 34–17 and finished third at the World Series. The Pointers made their fourth World Series appearance in 2010 and their fifth in 2013.

Softball

In 2009, the Pointers softball team had a 24–11 (8–6, WIAC) record. The team won the WIAC title in 2001. In 1998, the Pointers won the Division III National Championship. The softball team plays its home games at McCarty Memorial Field.

Track and field

The UWSP men's track and field teams have won 3 individual NAIA national titles and 16 individual NCAA Division III national titles. The women's teams have combined to win 13 individual NCAA Division III titles. The men's team has had 61 All-American performances at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships since 1985[9] and over 70 at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships since 1982.[10] The women have had 24 indoor NCAA Division III All-American performances between 1985 and 2007[11] and 27 Outdoor All-American performances from 1984 to 2007.[12]

The men's track team coach Rick Witt, who has been head coach for over 30 years, was named National Coach of the Year once, Regional Coach of the Year seven times, and Conference Coach of the Year 14 times.[13]

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

References
  1. "Standards - Web Development | UWSP". Uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  2. "University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point", Malcolm Rosholt Online Archives, Portage County Historical Society, retrieved June 11, 2014.
  3. "Former UW-Point president Hansen dies", Marshfield News-Herald (August 3, 1983), p. 15.
  4. Ashley Gatz, "UWSP chancellor announces resignation", WAOW, April 23, 2009.
  5. "'Polarizing' Chancellor at U. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Quits After Hit-and-Run Incident", Chronicle of Higher Education, April 23, 2009.
  6. Todd Finkelmeyer, "Campus Connection: Walker's plan 'would send UWSP back to 19th century'", The Capital Times, February 23, 2011.
  7. 90FM Trivia - The World's Largest Trivia Contest – Travel Wisconsin
  8. Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers rally to beat Williams College for DIII title – ESPN
  9. UW-Stevens Point Indoor All-Americans, Athletics, UWSP (pdf), retrieved June 11, 2014.
  10. Pointer Outdoor All-Americans, Athletics, UWSP. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  11. Pointer Indoor All-Americans, Athletics, UWSP. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  12. Pointer Outdoor All-Americans, Athletics, UWSP. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  13. Rick Witt: Head Men's Cross Country/Track and Field Coach, Staff Directory, Men's Track & Field, Athletics, UWSP, retrieved June 11, 2014.
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