Uncharted Waters: In September 2004, the Delavan Lake Yacht Club hosted an adaptive sailing clinic for 11 UW-Whitewater student athletes with disabilities and additional sailors with disabilities from Chicago. One of the top sailing coaches in the world, Paralympic sailing coach Betsy Alison, agreed to help teach the course. While the inaugural event was successful, the long term may be more exciting. UW-Whitewater hopes to add adaptive sailing permanently to its list of opportunities available to students with disabilities. The program would further the university’s select mission to be the most accessible university in Wisconsin for those who have physical disabilities.

Promoting Personal Growth: The creation of a $600,000 central fund in 2004 will guarantee a minimum level of professional development funding annually for each faculty and staff member. Faculty are eligible for a minimum of $1,000 per year; academic staff are eligible for $500; and classified staff for $250. The fund will go toward helping employees advance through conferences, workshops, coursework and other training. The effort, launched by Chancellor Jack Miller, will especially help cash-strapped divisions that have been unable to afford training opportunities.

Social Service Placements: UW-Whitewater’s School of Social Work has an elaborate network of not-for-profit agencies in the region that receive something always in heavy demand: student volunteers. In 2003-04, with more than 100 students placed with organizations, field interns contributed an estimated $480,000 in hours of service to non-profit causes across southern Wisconsin. In turn, supervisors from those agencies contributed $90,000 of their staff time to support experiential education. This win-win scenario is integral to the success of the social work curriculum.

The Power of Giving: The integrity of UW-Whitewater’s alumni and friends, who donated more than $3.5 million over the past year, cannot be overestimated. The UW-Whitewater Foundation has already secured more than $3 million in private donations from leadership donors to the Beyond Tradition campaign for a new business building. And thanks to donor endowment support, the UW-Whitewater Foundation now gives out more than $500,000 annually in scholarships to students based on both merit and need.