News from the Vice Chancellor
Spring 2012
Perennially Beautiful
Adding a touch of color to campus
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Perennially Beautiful....... 1
Celebrating our MSC.... 1
Welcome....................... 2
Good news.................... 3
Reminders.................... 3
Employee of the month...4
Sustainable Stout......... 5
When Grounds Supervisor Mike
Smith joined UW-Stout in 2007, he
found a beautiful campus but saw
plenty of opportunities for improvement.
“One thing I noticed was that the
grounds were pretty uniform—120
acres of green,” Mike said. “Right
away, I knew we could make the
campus more inviting by adding a
touch of color.”
we want
“ where
a constant
burst of color ,
we use annuals
News from the Vice Chancellor
is published for ASLS division
employees.
Publisher: Phil Lyons
Interim Vice Chancellor of
Administrative & Student Life
Services
lyons@uwstout.edu
(715) 232-1683
Editor: Tom Dye
Communication Specialist
dyet@uwstout.edu
(715) 232-1681
225 Administration Building
Menomonie, WI 54751
Fax: (715) 232-1527
”
Annuals outside the caterpillar-stage MSC
In many places, Mike brought in color with perennials, but there are limitations with perennials. “Most perennials bloom for just one to three
weeks,” Mike said, “and at different times of the
year.” (See Color, page 4.)
Celebrating our MSC in style
Despite a few clouds, a cheerful crowd was on hand for the grand opening
of the Memorial Student Center April 18.
Inside, a constant flow of students and others enjoyed the
MSC’s warm atmosphere, which
SLS enhanced with live music,
free commemorative mugs &
water bottles, and complimentary refreshments prepared
by Dining Services. (See MSC,
page 6.)
At left, Chef David Leach’s ice sculpture
stands by for the ribbon cutting
ASLS VICE CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE • 225 Administration, Menomonie, WI 54751 • 715-232-1683
Welcome
Dean Eide joins Physical Plant as a facilities maintenance specialist. Before joining Stout, Dean was the produce manager at Lammers Foods and
provided maintenance at both Lammers and Culver’s. Originally from Watertown, South Dakota, Dean lives in Cedar Falls with his wife Renee, who
also works at Stout. In his free time, Dean enjoys remodeling, bicycling,
traveling, and photography. His photos can be seen on postcards and in
numerous magazines.
Jeff Grundeman, facilities maintenance specialist, joins Physical Plant
from Design Built Structures, where he worked in post-frame construction.
A long time resident of the Menomonie area, Jeff has been in construction
for 23 years. His hobbies include fishing, hunting, riding motorcycles &
ATVs, and raising beef cattle.
Lyle Moritz, facilities maintenance specialist, comes to Physical Plant
from Midwest Manufacturing’s extrusion plant. He and his wife Sharon
have three grown children: Sarah, Jason, and Nick. A Menomonie native
and Packer fan, Lyle enjoys woodworking, reading, and anything outdoors—
including hunting, fishing, hiking, and gardening.
Mary Jo Pittman, financial specialist, joins Business and Financial Services
from the UW-Stout Art Program Office. The Ellsworth native and her husband Daniel live on a farm in Arkansaw. The couple have two grown children, Cassie and Jordan. Mary Jo’s interests include camping, traveling,
reading, and making jewelry—including the jewelry shown at left.
Joshua Schram joins Physical Plant as a facilities maintenance specialist.
Prior to joining UW-Stout, he worked for the Dunn County Health Care Center. A native of Alma Center, Josh lives south of Elk Mound with his wife
Anne and their 2-year old son Weston. Josh enjoys gardening and renovating his old farm house.
Have you seen this
man on campus?
If so, you were not experiencing a
flashback. Joe Krier has returned
to UW-Stout, helping out as interim
assistant vice chancellor for SLS,
a role he filled in 2006/7.
2
NEWS FROM THE VICE CHANCELLOR
Good news
U Rec’s Intramural Sports Coordinator Katie Ressie was chosen to officiate at the NCAA Division III women’s basketball national championship
last March.
I n February, Dining Service staff and
students, including Linda Fane, Ann
Thies, and Diane Ternes (at left), took
a chilly dip in Tainter Lake to benefit
Special Olympics. This year’s Polar
Plunge raised over $30,000, about
$10,000 more than last year’s event.
Reminders
A SLS’s own Tracy Glenz, Jeff Keenan, John Paulus, Bob Starck, and Jim
•Travel Authorization
forms are, once again,
required
U W-Stout softball celebrated 20 years
•Your X Factor: Energy Is
Everything -- Classified
Development Workshop,
Tuesday, May 1
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. &
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Uhlir attended a FEMA Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Higher Education institute in River Falls last week, with seven other universities. They
represented UW-Stout in the joint university emergency management activity. Simulated disaster exercises were part of the program.
as a varsity program with an alumni
weekend in April. The photo at right
shows our first team—along with coach
Lori Anda, far left.
A thletic Director Duey Naatz was ap-
•Poker Walk
Wednesday, May 16
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
T his year’s Health & Wellness Fair, coordinated by Optimal Health Commit-
•Campus-wide electrical
outage
Friday, June 29, to
Saturday, June 30
pointed to the NCAA Division III Football
Committee. He will serve through September 01, 2016.
tee Chair Dean Sanke, Student Health Services Director Janice LawrenceRamaeker, and others, was a big success and featured over 30 health &
wellness vendors. The “Amazing Race,” which was organized by Student
Health Services PEER Health Educators, got more students involved in the
event this year.
C hemical hygiene officer Tracy Glenz was promoted to lieutenant colonel
in the Air National Guard, where she serves part time as a bioenvironmental engineer.
O ur new mascot (seen at left with Coach
Clayt Birmingham at the MSC grand opening) now has a name. Q: What is the little
devil’s name?
A: Blaze!
ADMINISTRATIVE AND STUDENT LIFE SERVICES
3
Color (continued from page 1)
As a result, landscapers need to mix several varieties of perennials
in over-sized beds to make bold color statements that last all season.
“That’s not always our best option,” Mike noted. “In some places on campus, we don’t have enough room or don’t have the correct sun exposure.
In others, the land is set aside for students to use recreationally.”
Classified Employee
of the Month
DiAnne Rudiger, academic
custodian, has been named
Classified Employee of the
Month for December 2011.
T. he individuals nominating
DiAnne stated: “DiAnne is
beyond wonderful and helpful! She is very conscientious, friendly, dedicated, a
hard worker and an honest
person who is always willing
to help out when asked and
needed. She goes above
and beyond her job duties.
DiAnne is very deserving of
this award! DiAnne takes
pride in UW-Stout.”
. nd, “DiAnne is so friendly
A
and considerate to everyone who enters Heritage
Hall. She takes pride in the
building and how it looks to
everyone.”
Faced with space limitations, Mike turned to annuals. “They bloom all
season, from spring right through to fall,” he said. “So, with a relatively
small bed of annuals, we can provide the same visual bang as a big bed
of perennials.”
By putting annuals in key settings, grounds crews leave more functional
space for students to enjoy, and they ensure that the campus looks its
best during summer visits, move-in weekend, and early autumn. “The annuals really set the stage for great campus tours,” Mike noted, “catching
visitors’ eyes and drawing them from one location to another.”
The annuals’ bold, long-lasting color also draws visitors back to campus.
“Studies show that potential students make up their minds to attend a
university during the first 15 minutes of their visit,” Mike said, suggesting that the grounds play a pivotal role in recruitment. “Our programs get
students to take the tour, but the appearance of our campus helps convince them to enroll.”
Statistics compiled by
Admissions tell a similar
story. Before the campus tour, about one
potential student in four
ranks UW-Stout their
first choice. After the
visit though, over half of
the students put Stout
at the top of the list.
This doubling of interest
aligns with high survey
marks—over 90% approval ratings—for the
overall appearance of the campus.
Annuals draw the eye
Executive Director of Enrollment Services Pam Holsinger-Fuchs understands that a beautiful campus is an integral part of making a good impression. “Having our campus look its very best for our campus visitors
is the equivalent of cleaning your house for company before a visit,” Pam
said.
4
“We always want to put our best foot forward, and having the grounds
landscaped and looking their best is all part of the perception that
people take away with them when they come to UW-Stout.”
Housing Director Scott Griesbach agrees and works closely with Mike
NEWS FROM THE VICE CHANCELLOR
and the grounds crew to ensure that residence halls look their best. “We
plant perennials in many areas, but in certain places—where we want a
constant burst of color—we use annuals,” Scott said.
“The areas around the residence halls were pretty bare a few years ago,”
Scott added. “Mike and his crew have done a great job designing lowmaintenance foundation beds of shrubs and perennials, as well as creating some beautiful, colorful annual beds.”
By carefully weaving both annuals and perennials into the landscape design, Mike and the grounds crew create a setting that makes a great first
impression, helps recruit new students, and welcomes everyone to campus each fall. More than that, they contribute to learning by providing a
perennially beautiful, relaxing environment for the entire community.
Perennials in perspective
To create landscapes that are both attractive and functional, Mike Smith
and the grounds crew mix annuals and perennials. The annuals provide
design advantages that perennials can’t, and the perennials are more sustainable and less expensive in the long run.
Though they require ongoing maintenance like removing dropped leaves
and dead branches, as well as periodic trimming or dividing to prevent
them from growing too large or spreading, perennials still dominate on campus, while annuals account for less than 1% of the campus green space.
In 2009, Mike and the grounds crew splurged on perennials, planting over
7,000. Since then, they’ve planted a similar quantity, bringing the 3-year
total to 15,000, as detailed in the following table.
Table 1. Perennial Plantings 2009 through 2011
Year
Trees
Shrubs
Small Perennials
2009
39
1,464
6,335
2010
61
1,370
3,036
2011
197
1,060
1,447
Given these numbers, it’s easy
to understand why Mike said,
“Annuals get plenty of attention
on campus, but we plant a lot
more perennials than people
realize.”
One of many perennial
beds on campus
ADMINISTRATIVE AND STUDENT LIFE SERVICES
Total
7,838
4,467
2,704
15,009
Revving recycling
The Waste Reduction Work
Group is drafting a proposal for a new uniform
campus recycling, composting, and waste collection system.
The group includes faculty,
students, and ASLS staffers Lori Anda, Tom Biasi,
Bob Dodge, Scott Griesbach, Shirley Klebesadel,
Karen Lund, Ben Markl,
Sarah Rykal, Mike Smith,
Ann Thies, and Brent
Tilton.
Keeping up with
going green
To learn more about campus sustainability efforts,
visit the sustainability
website, the Sustainable
Stout Facebook page, and
the “Green We Go” video
series.
5
ADMINISTRATIVE AND STUDENT LIFE SERVICES
People working together for service excellence and innovation.
MSC (continued from page 1)
Snapshots
Outside, the sun broke through, warming the many people on hand to
recognize everyone who played a part in the great achievement and to
celebrate with a ribbon cutting.
The grand opening showcased the MSC’s innovative and functional spaces, which—thanks to a thoughtful design process—meet student needs
and keep them coming back. The well-organized event also showcased
the planning and implementation talents of the SLS staff and student
workers who ensure that the MSC is the center of campus.
Concept drawing —
Millennium landscaping
ASLS’s Phil Lyons, Darrin
Witucki, Ann Thies, and
Shirley Klebesadel lend a hand
at the MSC ribbon cutting
Commemorating the MSC opening
A student takes a dip in the
chocolate fountain
Participants in The Amazing Race — Stout Style
6
ASLS VICE CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE •
Darrin Witucki cracks up the crowd —
without cracking a smile
225 Administration Building
• (715) 232-1681