Known today as the University of Wisconsin Platteville-Baraboo Sauk County, the campus opened in the fall of 1968. The campus is jointly owned and maintained by Sauk County, the City of Baraboo, and the University of Wisconsin System.
The mission of UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County is to provide a high-quality liberal arts education and to advance the Wisconsin Idea by bringing the resources of the University to all residents within the service area. The campus offers a warm and supportive learning environment, along with fine arts and cultural programming, both on campus and in the community.
Expansion Projects
The UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County was originally designed for 300 students, and it now serves approximately 600. Over the years, the campus has added a maintenance building, music, greenhouse, and art facilities. In 1995, a bequest from John and Murrel Lange enabled the construction of the Lange Student Center that houses Student Affairs offices, student lounges, cafeteria, art gallery, gymnasium, dance studio, racquetball courts, and locker room facilities.
In 1996, construction and remodeling projects for the music, library, and classroom buildings brought campus facilities to a total of 150,000 square feet. Through a bequest from the Hill family, the James and Kathryn Hill Music Center added a dedicated music facility with customized practice rooms and a rehearsal hall. Campus renovation also continued with the construction of a new classroom and administration wing, bringing additional classrooms and offices.
In October 2015, the new science building expansion project was concluded, adding state-of-the-art chemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology space to the campus. A lecture hall with seating for 70 to 100 is a central feature within the classroom spaces. This addition was generously supported by our partners, the City of Baraboo and Sauk County.
Sustainability
In 2009, UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County received a Shared Savings award from Alliant Energy, in recognition of a boiler replacement project that significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions and resulted in an annual energy savings of more than $20,000. In 2013, the campus completed another campus-wide energy project that included the addition of solar panels on the Lange Center roof, an expected energy cost savings of $50,000 per year.
In 2015, the science building expansion project was completed with natural roofing materials including indigenous plantings, crushed stone, and water run-off systems.