900 Wood Road P.O. Box 2000 • Kenosha, WI 53141-2000 • 262-595-2404 • university.advancement@uwp.edu

Enriching Minds. Changing Lives.

More than five decades ago, Chancellor Irvin G. Wyllie and many other forward-thinking community members dreamed of a university where thousands of people would come to enrich their minds and change their lives. Today, we find our inspiration from the founders of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside who dedicated themselves to the ideal of affordable, accessible public higher education.

Who We Are

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside Foundation connects the visions and passions of donors with the mission of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. While independent from the university, the Foundation is intrinsically linked to the institution, stewarding donor generosity to support student and academic success.

Through the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Foundation, the value of a donation is measured in more than dollars and cents. Private gifts have the power to transform higher education, student lives, and the communities served by the university.

Mission and Vision

Our mission is to support the University of Wisconsin-Parkside by promoting mutually beneficial partnerships and raising funds that enhance access to educational excellence.

Our vision is to be an essential provider of resources, partnerships and advocacy for the university and to build educational, cultural, economic, and community opportunities.

Arts are Alive at UW-Parkside

Filled with a tradition of artistic and creative excellence, the new Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities is named for a true friend of the university. Through the generosity of Rita’s family, UW-Parkside is able to provide outstanding facilities to spark the imagination and potential of students and the community.

Arts and humanities, and the energy which they provide, enrich minds and change lives in any university. The College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has become increasingly important to donors. Regardless of the degree program, all students at UW-Parkside take courses in the arts and humanities prior to graduation. These courses serve as a wellspring of collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving skills that employers desire in today’s talent.

Investments in the arts and humanities by our donors impact students and the thousands of patrons who visit our campus each year.

Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities, established in 2011, supports award-winning academic programs in the College of Arts and Humanities, and serves as southeastern Wisconsin’s premiere cultural and arts destination.

“A professor’s legacy” is how one can describe the generosity of Emeritus Professor Frances Bedford. Through a significant gift, UW-Parkside established the Frances Bedford Concert Hall, one of the most acoustically superb music venues in the Midwest. Professor Bedford, shown here before a recent performance, is a frequent member of the audience.

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Women’s basketball player Sierra West earned five consecutive Academic All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selections. After receiving the prestigious GLVC Council of Presidents Academic Excellence Award, Sierra completed her M.B.A. and was hired by Microsoft Corporation prior to graduation.

Impact on Students

Preparing students to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive and global economy is a top priority at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and for the Foundation. Our donors answer the unique challenge of providing students with the faculty, learning opportunities, and financial resources they need to succeed.

Every gift to the Foundation adds to the strength and scope of the university’s mission. We invite you to give in a way that aligns with your priorities. The following are areas where your philanthropy can make the greatest difference.

ScholarshipsMore students of strong academic standing are seeking financial support to advance themselves and their communities through academic scholarships.

Most UW-Parkside students work more than 20 hours a week to pay for their education. The single best way to increase student success is by providing scholarships that help reduce the amount of hours students must work off campus. Scholarships enable students to devote more time to internships, student government and other organizations, as well as study-abroad opportunities – all of which are critical to a successful and broad-based learning experience.

Arts, Culture, and Athletics

Central to the university’s purpose in southeastern Wisconsin is adding to the rich social and cultural life of our communities. The arts, culture, and athletics are standout programs providing highly distinctive resources.

As the only NCAA Division II athletics program in Wisconsin, Ranger Athletics holds a standard of excellence in attracting and graduating exemplary student-athletes. More than 65 UW-Parkside student-athletes earned academic honors last year from the Great Lakes Valley Conference – one of the top NCAA DII conferences in the United States with member institutions in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri.

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Academics and ResearchThe University of Wisconsin-Parkside remains committed to a tradition of exceptional work produced by our students and faculty in the classroom and in the community. Through your gift, you help continue extraordinary teaching, research, and outreach programs. You may choose to direct your support toward a specific University of Wisconsin-Parkside college or academic program.

Arts, Culture and AthleticsA thriving campus community is marked by the social and cultural activities it provides. Your contributions to University of Wisconsin-Parkside art, culture, and athletic programs help maintain the university’s ability to enrich minds and change lives.

Scholarships

Our donors – individuals, corporate or private foundations – seek pathways to align their passions and community vision with our students’ interests and needs. They also enable students with financial need to develop their talents, and experience careers that may have seemed beyond reach.

SC Johnson Global Education ScholarsThe University of Wisconsin-Parkside Foundation has partnered with SC Johnson to bring much-needed funds to support study-abroad experiences for deserving students in the College of Business, Economics, and Computing.

Recent graduate Sergio Lechuga traveled to India and discovered the cultural, social, and business environment of one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Only through the generosity of SC Johnson could he have experienced this impactful journey that changed his life and the lives of those around him.

Academics and Research

Medicine has been described as both an art and a science. The pre-health programs at UW-Parkside reflect this dual perspective. Graduates are well prepared as demonstrated by the more than 90-percent acceptance rate for students applying to med school. This becomes even more impressive when compared to the national med-school acceptance rate of 40 percent.

With the growing need for health-care professionals, UW-Parkside pre-health graduates are sought out by important institutions such as the Medical College of Wisconsin, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine

and Science, and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Donor investments in this and other outstanding academic programs at UW-Parkside help maintain the university’s ability to enrich minds and change lives. Not only will we sustain our commitment to students, but we will fulfill the critical job skills needed to strengthen our communities.

Donors may consider supporting any academic program at the department or college level through scholarships; endowed faculty, department chair, and deanships; and targeted gifts to advance unique leaning and research opportunities.

Sergio Lechuga/India

“I am the first in my family to graduate from high school, let alone a university. Without the SC Johnson scholarship, such an experience as traveling and studying in India would not have been possible. Now my little brother and my sisters want to finish high school and go on to a university. They see the excitement in learning.”

Graduates are very well prepared as demonstrated by the more than 90-percent placement rate of UW-Parkside graduates in admission to professional schools.

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