University of Wisconsin–Whitewater

On April 21, 1868, the school was named Whitewater Normal School and graduated its first class of teachers in June, 1870.

Albert Salisbury, writing in 1893, remarked: "The young men and women who gathered into this school in those early years found here a new and stimulating atmosphere. The spirit of earnestness–almost a severe earnestness,–pervaded the place; and the high ideals of its administration were contagious in a remarkable degree."

Salisbury wrote of a unique tradition of the school known as "Students' Day." One day during the term, faculty would, unannounced, be entirely absent from the school. Once students recognized that the day must be "Students' Day", they would elect a President and Faculty from amongst themselves who would take up the regular duties of the day. The annual catalogue stated the purpose of "Students' Day" as the following: "The object of thus putting the institution under the care of the students is to test their moral culture, their executive ability, and their devotion to their work."[4]

In 1927, the school received authority to grant baccalaureate degrees in education and its name was changed to Whitewater Teachers College. With the addition of the liberal arts programs in 1951 it became Wisconsin State College–Whitewater, and was later designated a Wisconsin State University in 1964.

In 1971, after the merger of the former University of Wisconsin and the former Wisconsin State Universities, the school became part of the University of Wisconsin System and has had the name of University of Wisconsin–Whitewater since then.[5]

Historic schoolhouse on UWW campus

The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater encompasses 400 acres in southeastern Wisconsin. The iconic landmark of the university's campus, Old Main, was destroyed by fire on February 7, 1970. The school's oldest building, it was the only one that had been part of the original campus. The east wing of Old Main, now called Hyer Hall, is all that remains of the building. It houses many of the university's administrative offices, in addition to classrooms and lecture halls.[6] After the fire that destroyed Old Main the building's carillon bell was removed and installed in front of the Alumni Center. Now an electronic carillon bell rings regularly throughout the day.[7]

The James R. Conner University Center occupies the heart of campus. The "UC" contains a bowling alley, an art gallery, a stage for live music, a coffee shop, and several dining options.[8] Young Auditorium, the largest performing arts venue on campus, hosts dance, music, theatre, comedy, and other university events.[9] The UW-Whitewater Nature Preserve is located in the northeast corner of campus and consists of 110 acres of various ecosystems such as woodlands, wetlands, and prairie. In addition to serving as an outdoor classroom and laboratory the preserve includes recreational trails for running, hiking, cross-country skiing, or biking.[10]

Whitewater Student Government (WSG) is the students' governing body. It consists of a senate, a president, a vice president and an executive board. WSG has the primary responsibility for the formulation and review of policies concerning student life, services, and interests according to Wisconsin State Statute 36.09(5).[14]

The organization also provides services to students on campus.[15] It hosts an adopt-a-lot service, where students and organizations can adopt a campus parking lot to clean; provides legal advice through an attorney; offers free income tax assistance to students and community members as part of a joint effort between Student Government, Beta Alpha Psi, the Accounting Department, and the IRS; and maintains updated listings on the WSG website for community housing.[16]

The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater has over 170 recognized student clubs and organizations.[2]

Greek system

Fraternities and sororities are involved with annual philanthropy and community service projects, homecoming week activities, socials (also known as exchanges) between other Greek organizations or general student organizations, scholarship opportunities for members, and professional networking skills and opportunities.[22]

North American Interfraternity Conference Alpha Sigma Phi Delta Chi Lambda Chi Alpha Sigma Tau Gamma Nationally recognized fraternities Lambda Chi Alpha Phi Delta Theta Tau Kappa Epsilon Professional fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Local Alpha Sigma (1898) Phi Chi Epsilon

National Panhellenic Conference Alpha Gamma Delta Delta Zeta Sigma Sigma Sigma National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations Gamma Alpha Omega Lambda Alpha Upsilon Zeta Sigma Chi National Pan-Hellenic Council Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Delta Sigma Theta Kappa Alpha Psi Omega Psi Phi Phi Beta Sigma Sigma Gamma Rho Zeta Phi Beta

The UWW mascot

UW–Whitewater is a member of NCAA Division III for athletics. It is a part of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). The university's athletics teams are nicknamed the Warhawks and are represented by the colors purple and white.

In the 2013–14 academic year, the Warhawks made collegiate sport history by winning the men's football, basketball, and baseball championships. UW-Whitewater is the first school in NCAA history in any division to experience such a three-sport sweep in the same academic year.[23]

One of UW-Whitewater's programs for students with disabilities, Cornerstones for Success, provides athletes with disabilities the opportunity to share their experiences in sports and everyday life with students from across the Midwest. UW-Whitewater also has wheelchair basketball programs for men and women; both teams have won national championships.[24]

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