Posted 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024
Stacy Narcotta-Welp receives Academic Staff Excellence Award
Stacy Narcotta-Welp spent 15 years as a college soccer coach, with stops at major Division I programs including Clemson University and the University of Iowa.
The same leadership and team-building skills that made her an excellent coach are now driving her success as an administrator at UW-La Crosse, where she serves as vice chancellor for Diversity & Inclusion.
Narcotta-Welp's commitment to creating a more equitable campus community earned her the 2024 Academic Staff Excellence Award.
“There is so much that I enjoy about the work I do,” Narcotta-Welp says. “I get to engage daily with wonderful students and excellent staff and faculty. Through those interactions, I get to work with and lead teams that tackle difficult questions, share creative and intentional ideas, and then collaborate on solutions that benefit students, faculty and staff. I believe higher education is a space of possibilities, a space where people can explore who they are in relation to others and the larger world, who they are becoming, and who they wish to be as they enter the world with their education from UWL.”
Narcotta-Welp strives to keep students at the center of her work — whether it’s on the field, in the classroom or around the campus community.
After 15 years in coaching, she enrolled at the University of Iowa to pursue a master’s degree in counseling, rehabilitation and student development. Outside of her studies, Narcotta-Welp held various positions in instruction, career readiness, leadership development, and diversity and inclusion — experience that positioned her to succeed at UWL.
Narcotta-Welp began as a career advisor at UWL in 2017, later serving as the director of Student Support Services, co-assistant vice chancellor for Diversity & Inclusion and assistant vice chancellor for Diversity & Inclusion.
She began her current role as vice chancellor for Diversity & Inclusion in February 2024.
“Stacy is a natural coach who understands everyone’s strengths and tailors her approach and support to the individual needs of her team members,” says Basil Dax, former executive assistant for Diversity & Inclusion. “She wants to see everyone do well, and that is not accomplished by uniformly trying to fit everyone into the same approach and working style. The way she approaches leadership demonstrates an inclusive mindset and ability to navigate different cultural and social norms and allows her to meet people where they are.”
Colleagues credit Narcotta-Welp with helping develop and implement several key initiatives — both public-facing and behind the scenes — intended to create a stronger campus community:
- Collaborative work with University Marketing & Communications on the creation of The First-Generation College Badge on email signatures, profile pages and signage, allowing staff and faculty to establish a sense of kinship with current first-generation students
- The You Belong campaign, an ongoing project usings signs and videos to affirm that people of all backgrounds and languages have a place at UWL
- A five-year TRIO grant through the Department of Education, helping UWL better serve first-generation students, income-eligible students and students with disabilities
- A virtual service delivery model that ensured continuity of Student Support Services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“At every step of the way, she has been a relentless force for positivity and necessary change, a fierce advocate for underrepresented students, and a steadfast champion for those of us in her charge,” says Luke Fannin, director of Student Support Services. “Her ability to forge and lead a team and her unending belief in both the value of those around her and the critical importance of our work inspires the kind of confidence that can weather any storm.”
Narcotta-Welp says she is “deeply moved and grateful” for the award and the recognition she has received from the campus community. Ever the consummate coach, she says she couldn’t have done it alone.
“So much of what I have done at UWL is because of the team I work with and their commitment to this campus,” she says. “I hope I can honor that team through this award and my continued work on behalf of the students, staff and faculty at UWL.”