Outlook Magazine - Fall 2021

ON CAMPUS

FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE

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Emerging from the pandemic, UW-Stout already is boldly moving forward, guided by a new 10-year strategic plan

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W-Stout has never met a challenge it couldn’t overcome — a major fire six years into its existence, the death of its founder and patron 13 years later, keeping the doors open during the Great Depression, and ongoing expansion and academic renewal to meet the needs of an ever-changing society. Then came 2020 and 2021. Once again, UW-Stout met head-on the numerous and rolling challenges over 18 months caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The university’s hallmarks of stability and innovative progress, symbolized by the Clock Tower and quill, have withstood the tests of time. So, how has UW-Stout prepared itself to emerge into a post- pandemic world? During the height of the pandemic in 2020, an external stakeholder visioning session was held, followed by feedback sessions with the university community, resulting in FOCUS2030, UW-Stout’s blueprint for the next decade with the tenets of “recovering, rebuilding and reimagining.” The plan, believed to be the first time UW-Stout has created a strategic vision of such length, was launched in May 2021. The session produced five goals that already are guiding short- and long-term university decision-making: student success; employee success; institutional sustainability; equity, diversity and inclusivity; and identity.

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