WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Commuters going up and down Stewart Avenue near Marathon Park will notice a little more purple in the color scheme along the street.
City and county leaders held a joint news conference with UW-Stevens Point Chancellor Bernie Patterson to officially reveal the sign for the newly re-named UWSP Wausau campus on Wednesday.
“It means new programs, new undergraduate programs, and graduate programs. It means a new vibrancy. It means new services for students and a great opportunity for this community and Central Wisconsin,” said Patterson following the reveal.
Full integration of the Wausau, Stevens Point, and Marshfield campuses is expected to be completed in the next 18 months. When completed, Patterson says students will be able to register for classes at any of the campuses at any time. “You won’t be transferring between the three campuses, it’s all one university. It will be seamless.”
That wasn’t the only big news to come out of the event. Patterson used his speech to announce that UWSP has just one hurdle left to clear in its quest to begin an MBA program to the Wausau campus in 2019. “We’re expecting final approval from our accreditors in Chicago.” That approval could come in early October, after which the school can begin advertising the opportunity to prospective students.
Three current UWSP Wausau students teamed up to remove the tarp from the sign along Stewart Avenue with scores of faculty, staff, and students both past and present looking on.
Wausau Mayor Robert Mielke and Marathon County Board Chairman Kurt Gibbs both spoke about the meaning of the event to the community. Other local leaders such as Marathon County Administrator Brad Karger and 85th District Assemblyman Pat Snyder were also on hand for the event.
Patterson also noted that Wednesday’s event came at a significant anniversary for the campus. It was September of 1958 when ground was broken on what would become the first academic buildings for UW Marathon County. He said those first leaders of the University gathered to share a vision and offer hope along with the opportunity for a higher education. “We’re here today for exactly the same reason,” he added.
