Campus Connection

UW-L students share the value of UW-L education with legislators

[caption id="attachment_40254" align="alignleft" width="200"] Julianne Merkes[/caption] UW-L senior Julianne Merkes was one of four UW-L students who stood up for the value of preserving higher education in front of hundreds of Wisconsinites at the end of March. Merkes was at the Joint Finance Committee hearing in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, with three other UW-L students to share with legislators the impact of budget cuts to UW-La Crosse. “I haven’t felt like I’ve ever stood up in front of people and talked about something that mattered so much to me,” she says. As a member of UW-L’s Student Senate, Merkes says she needs to be a voice for students — particularly on issues like the state budget, which could be detrimental for future students. The four students went to the hearing on their own account, volunteering their time. That kind of community involvement is typical at UW-La Crosse. UW-L faculty, students and campus offices contributed more than 60,000 hours of volunteer time to the community during the 2013-14 academic year, and nearly 500 volunteer projects involved attending a meeting, according to a study of civic engagement by Political Science and Public Administration capstone students. Professor Emeritus Joe Heim, UW-L legislative liaison, also testified at the Joint Finance Committee hearing. Kate Noelke, UW-L wellness coordinator, spoke with three students in the Department of Health Education and Health Promotion who collectively shared the importance of Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. [caption id="attachment_40257" align="alignright" width="200"] Kate Noelke[/caption] Noelke felt she “could have floated away with pride for UW-L” — not only for the students she was with, but also the other four students who were there and the professionalism they displayed. Merkes, a biology major, says she was passionate about advocating for the university’s budget because she knows the university already runs a tight ship. Classes are full — and some have long wait lists, particularly in her major. She worries more cuts will mean less opportunities for students to get into classes. Also it could mean losing star faculty who find better opportunities elsewhere. That’s a big hit to a university with a reputation for strong teaching. UW-L’s Biology Department won the UW System Board of Regents Teaching Excellence Award in 2013, followed by UW-L’s Math Department this year. “We still want to be competitive and be a top university,” says Merkes. “How do we do when we don’t have the funds to do it?” During her allotted two minutes, Merkes focused on her science background and the opportunities she’s had at UW-L to expand that knowledge even beyond the classroom through research and other activities.

“We still need doctors, engineers and researchers in Wisconsin — if we want to keep moving forward,” says Merkes. “I don’t want Wisconsin and UW System to be a black hole for education simply because our budgets were cut too much. We have a lot of good things going for us and we need to keep that momentum going.”

Although UW-L student James Dirth graduates in May — before any cuts will be in place — he worries about future UW-L students. That was his message to legislators at the hearing. “UW-L gave me a very affordable education and very high-quality education,” says Dirth. “I want current students and those yet to come to the UW System to have the same experience I did. After I leave, I don’t want to watch it go downhill.” [caption id="attachment_40333" align="alignleft" width="214"] James Dirth[/caption] Dirth, a political science, public administration and sociology major, has had plenty of opportunity to get involved during his time at UW-L. The Joint Finance Committee hearing was the second time he had spoken at a public hearing to advocate for higher education issues he believes in. Noelke regularly brings students to community health-related meetings she attends such as the Changing the Culture of Risky Drinking Behavior Coalition, the Heroin and Other Illicit Drug Task Force, La Crosse County Prevention Network, La Crosse Area Health Initiative and more. “We can give our students practice outside the classroom with what they learn inside the classroom and that might be some of the most valuable education they can get,” says Noelke. “Whenever I can, I take students with me to get involved.”