Experience the power of a UWL education through high-impact learning and life-long friendships, all while surrounded by the epic beauty of La Crosse. Follow your path. We’ll show you the way.
You’re part of a group of truly amazing people. At UWL, we are inspired every day by the driven, active and engaged students who make us so proud. That’s right, you’re amazing!
Here in La Crosse, people come together to work for the common good.
At UWL, we live out the Wisconsin idea of public service and community engagement. We are proud to work with our many partners in La Crosse, giving back every day to a community that generously supports our teaching, learning and service mission.
The "La Crosse Experience" stays with you for a lifetime.
UWL pride stays strong long after graduation! Stay connected with our beautiful campus and the faculty and friends who made your "La Crosse Experience" so special.
Experts. Scholars. Public servants. Community members.
UWL consistently delivers a high-quality and life-changing experience. We’re able to do it because of you, our talented and dedicated faculty and staff. You are the reason for our excellence!
A group of freshmen aim to learn college entry-level math and, ultimately, save time and money on the path to their degree.
[caption id="attachment_25813" align="alignleft" width="550"] UW-L students in the FastTrack Program.[/caption]
A group of 37 incoming freshmen at UW-La Crosse arrived on campus a week earlier than other students. They aimed to learn college entry-level math and, ultimately, save time and money on the path to their degree.
Through theFastTrack program, students took math classes online for six weeks and spent a week on campus, Aug. 26-30, taking math courses. The classes are a refresher on content likely learned in high school. Students took the Math Placement Exam Thursday, at the end of the course, in attempt to test into higher level math classes.
“Not only will they be better prepared for college-level mathematics classes, the students will also have built relationships with faculty, staff, and fellow UW-L students prior to the start of the semester,” says Jennifer Kosiak, mathematics professor and FastTrack instructor.
Last year’s program yielded a high success rate with 37 of the 38 students in the program moving into a higher level math class. This allowed some to skip a semester or entire year of math.
[caption id="attachment_25816" align="alignleft" width="550"] Students in the FastTrack program have the opportunity to test into higher level math courses.[/caption]
UW-L’s 2012 FastTrack program also served as a pilot project for a Massive Open Online Course, which UW-L faculty and staff developed in 2012. It showed the MOOC creators the potential of learning this entry-level math in an online environment. As the MOOC was designed using the FastTrack material, this year’s FastTrack program uses the MOOC platform.
The FastTrack program will continue next year as the third year of the UW System Growth Agenda Grant. Future students can learn about the FastTrack option during freshman registration in June 2014.
The success of the program involves the support of numerous departments, faculty and staff on campus, notes Kosiak. FastTrack instructors include Maggie McHugh, Robert Allen and Kosiak, in addition to several UW-L math and math education students serving as tutors.
Learn more about UW-L’s FastTrack program.
—UWL—