Daily Pioneer News

Joanne Wilson, UWP professor of engineering, has been named the executive director of First-Year experience.

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville has named Joanne Wilson to be the first executive director of First-Year Experience on campus. Wilson, a general engineering professor, will fill the position beginning in the fall 2007 semester on a half-time basis.

Both Chancellor David Markee and Provost Carol Sue Butts have made a commitment to taking a more comprehensive approach to the quality of the first year experience of entering freshmen and transfer students. Wilson will coordinate a number of departments, services, committees and activities in that endeavor.

"I think one of our first priorities will be to increase our efforts at helping students learn to be advocates for themselves. We know we have many resources and many great advisors on campus, so it's a matter of letting students know it's okay to ask for help and, in some cases, teaching them how to ask. Whether it's specific tutoring, general time management workshops, counseling or advising, we have to help students learn to avail themselves of those resources. I feel very optimistic that we will do that because I've already worked with many faculty and staff on campus who are very committed to students, both in and outside of the classroom," she said.

Wilson has been teaching at UWP since 1986, serving as chair of general engineering from 1989 to 1992 and as assistant dean of the College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science from 1992 to 1998. In addition to teaching, Wilson has always had a strong interest in the experiences of first-year students. She developed a freshman orientation course in engineering in the early 1990s, which continues to be taught today. She has also served on a number of university committees through the years, including the Student Experience Committee, New Student Orientation Committee and the Admissions and Academic Appeals Committee.

In her role as executive director, Wilson will serve on a number of additional committees, including the Strategies for Access to Higher Education (SAGE) and Academic Advising Committee. She will also establish and chair a First-Year Experience Committee.

Butts said Wilson's experience developing curricula and working with first- year students in engineering will be good experience for her new role.

"Dr. Wilson is a highly respected faculty member and has been doing much of this work in engineering already. We look forward to having her help us coordinate similar activities across campus and explore new ways of reaching out to students and helping them gain access to important services and resources. It's going to be an exciting first year for her and for everyone involved," she said.

In keeping with this renewed focus on the first-year student, the UWP convocation will feature a speaker from the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. Jean Henscheid, a fellow at the Center, will present "The First-Year Experience and Other Student Transitions: A National Perspective," from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m in the Center for the Arts on the UWP campus.

Anyone interested in learning more about the First-Year Experience initiative may contact Butts at (608) 342-1261.

Contact: Carol Sue Butts, UWP provost, (608) 342-1261, buttsc@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194