Posted 3:19 p.m. Friday, May 3, 2019
UWL Student Association to give award to Wisconsin Gov. Evers.
UWL Student Association to give award to Wisconsin Gov. Evers
The UWL Student Association will award Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers with its Higher Education Advocate Award.
Evers will be on campus at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 7, in the Bluffs of the Student Union to accept the award. The Higher Education Advocate Award highlights and thanks someone from outside the student organization who has promoted students to be an active part of the community, and has been an advocate for students and higher education in Wisconsin.
UWL Student Association President Ben O’Connell says student government leaders chose Evers because of his support of many higher education issues.
"We selected Gov. Evers for this award because he has been a phenomenal advocate for the UW System over the course of the past year,” says O’Connell. “His commitment to continuing the tuition freeze while also allocating $50 million to make up for the freeze is something that our students appreciate immensely.”
O’Connell says Evers’ budget proposal also includes $50,000 for a Student Loan Refinancing Study, which has been a priority of UWL Student Association's advocacy efforts in the legislature and at budget listening sessions during the past year.
“He also recognized our failing infrastructure at UW System schools and proposed a historic capital investment that would enhance our education and make sure that our buildings, like Prairie Springs Science Center Phase II, are up-to-date with the 21st century and safe for students to learn in,” adds O’Connell.
The Student Association’s Higher Education Advocate Award was first given in 2008-09. The award has been awarded annually since, except for 2014-15 when student senators felt there was no distinguished higher education advocate that year.
Previous winners of the award include:
2008-09 — Rusty Cunningham, Executive Editor, La Crosse Tribune
2009-10 — Jennifer Shilling, State Senator, 32nd District
2010-11 — Brent Smith, UW System Regent
2011-12 — Kevin P. Reilly, UW System President
2012-13 — Joseph Heim, Professor Emeritus
2013-14 — Not awarded
2014-15 — Jill Billings, Assembly Representative, 95th District
2015-16 — Ron Kind, Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District
2016-17 — Jill Billings, Assembly Representative, 95th District