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UW-La Crosse Strategic Plan

Sustaining Excellence

The UWL Strategic plan is comprised of four pillars which focus on students, community and employees.   These campus priorities serve to guide our goals and actions steps. UWL initiated the current plan in 2016 with several updates including a 2024 governance endorsement of revised goals within each pillar.  A new strategic planning process is expected during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Increasing community engagement

UWL embraces community engagement as a key component to our teaching, scholarly, & service mission.

Increasing community engagement

Goals

  • Market and broker mutually beneficial relationships between UWL and private/public organizations in the greater La Crosse community, state and region.
  • Initiate strategies that create and promote increased opportunities for community engagement that are academically grounded.
  • Advocate for integrating community engagement into the UWL campus culture.
  • Determine and implement meaningful metrics to be used when measuring community engagement at UWL.
  • Onboard and integrate new campus leadership and other employees into community engagement activities.

Metrics:

Increase participation in internships/clinical/field experiences by UWL Students to 62% of graduating seniors by fall 2023.

61% of UWL Seniors reported participation in internships/clinical/field experiences on the 2023 NSSE survey.

  • 2011, 53%
  • 2014, 60%
  • 2017, 62%
  • 2020, 57%
  • 2023, 61%
  • 62%

The goal of UWL Community Engagement is to return student participation to pre-COVID-19 pandemic numbers.

Expand number of partnerships reported on the UW System Partnership Collection.

The survey for this metric will be sent on April 1, 2024.

Increase number of projects in progress or completed through the UWL Community Idea Exchange (formerly known as the Project Opportunities Board).

  • Ten projects were listed in FY 2024. Seven have been assigned, 2 have been completed, 2 have been removed, with 5 projects open for selection. The Community Engagement Coordinator has moved away from adding a large number of projects to the Idea Exchange in an effort to reduce the number of unmatched projects. The Community Engagement Coordinator's goal is to have a minimum of 10 projects on the board at all times, and also match community project ideas with faculty in real-time.

Increase number of student hours reported for volunteering in the community annually. In the 22-23 End of Year Report for University Centers, we have 16,141 volunteer hours from MyOrgs/UGetConnected reports. This represents an increase of 55% from the previous year.

  • 2019-20, 9475
  • 2020-21, 5043
  • 2021-22, 10409
  • 2022-23, 16141
  • -

Actions Completed 2023-2024

  • Collaborated with Provost’s Office, Student Affairs and University Communications to create a review of potential community events to be considered for university participation.
  • Introduction to the UGetConnected platform campus-wide as a tool to find and self-report individual volunteerism. The use of this platform provides a space for staff to self-report their engagement. This platform is intended to replace the bi-annual Qualtrics survey sent by Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning. The platform also provides the economic impact of UWL volunteerism.
  • Rolled out the new “Introduction to Community Engagement” Canvas module as an optional course in First Year Seminar, as well as Community Engaged Learning designated courses.

Increasing Community Engagement

Achieving excellence through equity & diversity

UWL is committed to being an equitable & welcoming community to maintain our status as a high quality & competitive university.

Achieving excellence through equity & diversity

Goals

  • Create learning environments that sustain and support students from underrepresented backgrounds to achieve their academic and career goals within U.S. academia.
  • Ensure that all employees can be engaged in creating a dynamic and welcoming campus community.
  • Build transformative and reciprocal relationships such that diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are fully coordinated within the campus and community ecosystem.
  • Uplift and share our progress related to student success in enrollment, retention, and graduation across populations to convey the impact of the institution’s mission, vision, and values within the campus community, state, and region.

Metrics:

Reduce gaps in first-to-second year retention between not-first-generation and first-generation students. The current retention rate of not-first-generation students is 88%. The most recent retention rates of first-generation students:

  • 2015, 85%
  • 2016, 78%
  • 2017, 83%
  • 2018, 77%
  • 2019, 82%
  • 2020, 80%
  • 2021, 80%
  • 2022, 83%
  • 88%

Reduce gaps in first-to-second year retention between not Pell eligible students and Pell eligible students. The current retention rate of not Pell eligible students is 86%. The most recent retention rates of Pell eligible students:

  • 2015, 83%
  • 2016, 80%
  • 2017, 84%
  • 2018, 78%
  • 2019, 82%
  • 2020, 79%
  • 2021, 76%
  • 2022, 82%
  • 86%

Reduce gaps in first-to-second year retention between students of color (SOC) and those who are not. The current retention rate of non-SOC students is 86%. The most recent retention rates of students of color:

  • 2015, 79%
  • 2016, 78%
  • 2017, 77%
  • 2018, 82%
  • 2019, 83%
  • 2020, 79%
  • 2021, 76%
  • 2022, 77%
  • 86%

Increase UWL’s compositional diversity of faculty and academic staff. Monitor to ensure it meets or exceeds the median value of the UW Comprehensives (12.1% in 2022, excluding UWL) overall as well as across employment categories.

  • 2015, 10.9%
  • 2016, 9.8%
  • 2017, 9.5%
  • 2018, 10.1%
  • 2019, 11.8%
  • 2020, 11.6%
  • 2021, 10.5%
  • 2022, 10.7%
  • 12.1%

UWL has an overrepresentation of persons of color among our “unskilled” staff (per 2017 Affirmative Action report). The intent of this metric is to review compositional diversity not just overall, but across various job categories, similar to how we monitor achievement gaps of students.

Increase UWL’s compositional diversity of the student body, both undergraduate and graduate. Monitor to ensure it meets or exceeds the median value of the UW Comprehensives (11.9% in 2022, excluding UWL).

  • 2015, 8.7%
  • 2016, 9.3%
  • 2017, 9%
  • 2018, 9.5%
  • 2019, 10.2%
  • 2020, 10.2%
  • 2021, 10.2%
  • 2022, 10.1%
  • 11.9%

Actions Completed 2023-2024

  • Fostering Success for Independent Scholars, Eagle Mentoring Program, Hekima Scholars, UWL First! Scholars, Multicultural Validation Program, First Year Research Experience provided scholarships to students in these programs. OMSS earned a Fresh Water Collaborative Grant to increase the numbers of pre-college programs at UWL.
  • Inclusive Teaching Program provided feedback and assistance to Equity Liaison Reports delivered in 2022-2023. This feedback was used to improve goals and action steps for units in 2023-2024.
  • The entire Division of Diversity & Inclusion completed a Restorative Justice Training and uses the model in its work.
  • DEI Faculty Fellow position description was updated, and each UWL College and School (CASS, CSH, CBA, and SOE) have a dedicated faculty or staff member filling the role. These positions coordinate DEI work within their college/school, as well as serve as liaisons with UWL D&I Division.
  • Counseling and Testing Center and Athletics have staff representatives that serve as liaisons with D & I to coordinate DEI work in their areas across D & I units.
  • For the second year in a row, the Center for Transformative Justice partnered with New Student Orientation and Residence Life to deliver a free speech, inclusivity, and civil discourse training to all in-coming freshman and transfer students at UWL.
  • The Division of Diversity & Inclusion partnered with UCOMM and other campus partners to host lunchtime speakers for “UWL Celebrates . . .” Months. Each speaker focused on their personal experiences to educate and celebrate each month.
  • Full-time Youth Protections Coordinator was hired in D & I to coordinate all processes associated with campus youth programs and ensure that all federal, state, and local policies and laws are fully followed.
  • The Center for Transformative Justice, New Student Orientation, Residence Life, and the Center for Teaching and Learning collaborated with The Discussion Project to deliver a 3-day intensive training on civil discourse and dialogue frameworks to be applied to new student orientation, as well as across campus in classrooms, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities.
  • The Access Center and UCOMM created an “Committed to Accessibility” badge for faculty and staff who collaborate and coordinate with the Access Center and have been awarded the status by the Access Center.
  • The Division of Diversity and Inclusion created the Patch Works Newsletter and Monthly communications highlighting all campus and D & I division programs and events focusing on DEI topics. D & I also collaborated with CATL to highlight and cross-promote Inclusive Teaching events and D & I events.

Equity and diversity

Investing in our people

UWL recognizes that our status as a high quality and competitive university depends on our faculty and staff.

Investing in our people

Goals

  • Prioritize employee compensation.
  • Promote an environment of employee inclusion, ownership and engagement.
  • Create clear and consistent assessment and accountability policies for all employees.
  • Encourage employees to utilize the Educational Assistance program.

Metrics:

Work toward achieving 92% of external market parity compensation across all employee classifications. 

The next position and salary review is scheduled for the fall of 2024.  You may view the most recent (FY20) CUPA salary review here.

Faculty

  • 2016, 89%
  • 2017, 89%
  • 2018, 87%
  • 2019, 88%
  • 2020, 88%
  • 92%

 

Instructional Academic Staff

  • 2016, 97%
  • 2017, 97%
  • 2018, 94%
  • 2019, 93%
  • 2020, 97%
  • 92%

 

 

Non-instructional Academic Staff

  • 2016, 100%
  • 2017, 99%
  • 2018, 95%
  • 2019, 95%
  • 2020, 95%
  • 92%

This is an aspirational goal for UWL. External market parity is CUPA for Faculty, IAS, and matched NIAS positions. Other sources, such as UW System match are used when CUPA data is unavailable. There are no CUPA comparison groups for non-academic titles. In November 2022, the University of Wisconsin implemented the Title and Total Compensation Project to modernize UW's title, pay, and benefits programs. Also as part of our commitment to Sustaining Excellence and the focus on Investing in Our People, UWL has distributed lump sum payments to eligible staff over the last several years. View Lump Sum Payment Allocations to University Staff FY23.

Monitor expenditure of Educational Assistance benefit funds each year across employee classifications.

Educational Assistance Benefit paid out to UWL employees

The annual budget for Educational Assistance is $85,000 (the program began in January 2018). Unspent funds carry over into the next year.

2022-23: $64,070

  • $0
  • $2,637* faculty
  • $5,210* university staff
  • $56,223* academic staff
  • $85,000

Number of requests made in 2021-22: 44

2021-22: $62,864

  • $0
  • $2,250* faculty
  • $6,875* university staff
  • $53,739* academic staff
  • $85,000

Number of requests made in in 2021-22: 44

2020-21: $92,855

  • $0
  • $0* faculty
  • $8,196* university staff
  • $84,659* academic staff
  • $85,000

Number of requests made in in 2020-21: 52

2019-20: $92,130

  • $0
  • $4,200* faculty
  • $15,301* university staff
  • $72,629* academic staff
  • $85,000

Number of requests made in in 2019-20: 67

2018-19: $86,408

  • $0
  • $1,714* faculty
  • $26,784* university staff
  • $57,910* academic staff
  • $85,000

 

2017-18: $15,081

  • $0
  • $7,462* university staff
  • $7,619* academic staff
  • $42,500

 

Sustain high levels of employee engagement as reported on Employee Engagement Survey. View the current levels of engagement report.

90%

Positive engagement
Fall 2022

Actions Completed 2023-2024

  • The university implemented a 1% one-time merit pay award to employees in Fiscal Year 2024 for retention purposes as well as to recognize the work and contributions of faculty and staff. The cost of the lump-sum payment was $750,029.
  • Salary market adjustments amounting to $116,212 were allocated for base salary increases to administrative assistant staff; $44,928 for custodial staff; and $79,045 to increase graduate assistant stipends.
  • The university participated in the “Great Colleges to Work For” survey. The national survey is designed to recognize institutions that have demonstrated workplace excellence and created a great workplace environment for employees.
  • Employees continue to identify areas in which the university can enhance their working experience. The Human Resources Advisory Committee collaborates regularly with campus shared governance on implementing ways in which the university can enhance the employee experience.

Investing in our people

Advancing transformational education

High-impact teaching & learning opportunities that are proven to aid student success across diverse backgrounds.

Advancing transformational education

Goals

  • Increase the opportunities for students to engage in high-impact practices by graduation.
  • Monitor persistence and retention rates with the goal of improvement.
  • Expand international/global learning opportunities for all students.
  • Enhance graduate education.
  • Engage in effective enrollment management to efficiently use finite resources while enhancing the student experience and timely graduation.
  • Provide support for the academic components of key university initiatives such as community engagement, equity & diversity, Eagle Advantage, and sustainability.

Metrics:

Increase retention of first-year students to 90%.

  • 2014, 85%
  • 2015, 86%
  • 2016, 83%
  • 2017, 86%
  • 2018, 84%
  • 2019, 86%
  • 2020, 84%
  • 2021, 84%
  • 2022, 87%
  • 90%

Increase retention of transfer students to 80%.

  • 2014, 81%
  • 2015, 77%
  • 2016, 76%
  • 2017, 77%
  • 2018, 80%
  • 2019, 82%
  • 2020, 81%
  • 2021, 78%
  • 2022, 82%
  • 80%

Expand participation in first-year seminar to 100% of new first-year students and selected transfer students.  Beginning 2020-21, FYS 100 was required for ALL new first-year students and selected transfer students.

Increase the number of UWL students graduating with an education abroad experience to 23%.  This data point comes from seniors who responded to the NSSE.  Study abroad was curtailed due to COVID-19 during the academic years when the 2023 seniors would have been most likely to study abroad.

  • 2014, 23%
  • 2017, 19%
  • 2020, 19%
  • 2023, 9%
  • 23%

Increase graduate enrollment to 1,000 students.

  • 2015, 758
  • 2016, 818
  • 2017, 818
  • 2018, 867
  • 2019, 963
  • 2020, 979
  • 2021, 935
  • 2022, 927
  • 2023, 921
  • 1000

Actions Completed 2023-2024

  • Results of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) show that the number of students experiencing “High Impact Practices” (HIPs) during their time at UWL remained steady from 2020 to 2023. In the 2023 survey results, 76% of seniors reported participation in two or more HIPs, compared to 75% of seniors in the 2020 NSSE results.  In both 2020 and 2023, 18% of seniors reported participation in only one HIP during their college career. A High Impact Practice that grew over this time is participation in a capstone / culminating experience. In 2023, 61% of seniors reported completing a capstone experience, while 56% of 2020 respondents had a capstone experience.
  • Student participation in undergraduate research remains strong. This academic year, 113 undergraduates submitted grant proposals to seek support for their research projects. The Undergraduate Research & Creativity Committee funded approximately 95% of these grant proposals. Further, 170 undergraduate students submitted poster and oral presentations to be included in the Spring 2024 Research & Creativity Symposium. Due to increased participation over the past two years, the symposium added an extra poster session this year. 
  • In 2023-24, study abroad participation increased 35% with 255 students studying abroad. This number continues to move closer to pre-pandemic levels of participation. This year's increase in demand allowed for more proposed faculty-led programs to be “greenlighted” to proceed when enrollment thresholds were met. In 2023-24, UWL faculty led 10 short-term programs abroad, compared to 5 short-term programs in 2022-23.
  • Graduate education expanded at UWL in 2023-24 with the launch of new graduate certificates in Digital Marketing, Financial Technology, Fundamentals of GIS, and IT Management. The Master of Public Health graduate program is being offered again, now as a fully online program. Lastly, the PE Teaching MS program now has a hybrid option that allows working PE teachers to enroll while teaching full time.
  • As the number of online and hybrid graduate programs has grown since 2018, enrollment has also grown. Enrollment of graduate students in online/hybrid programs increased by 34% from 355 students in Fall 2018 to 476 students in Fall 2023. Overall, enrollment of graduate students of color increased from 9.8% of the graduate student body in Fall 2018 to 11.6% of the graduate student body in Fall 2023. This is driven mostly by the number of students of color enrolled in online/hybrid graduate programs.

Transformational education