I am writing to update you on a few community-related developments in preparation for fall semester.
As discussed during our open forums, many university members have been involved directly with Dunn County and City of Menomonie administrators and leaders regarding community recovery efforts and planning for a return to face-to-face operations at UW-Stout. Part of the work of the Dunn County Community Recovery Team has focused on community communication and includes the following outreach efforts:
- A letter to the community, from me, in today’s Dunn County News that is available here;
- A virtual Town Hall meeting, hosted by the Menomonie Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Menomonie, on August 4th at 4:00 p.m. Panelists will include myself; Mayor Randy Knaack; Bruce Barker, President of the Chippewa Valley Technical College; a representative of the Menomonie school district; Police Chief Eric Atkinson; and county Public Health Director KT Gallagher. Please watch UW-Stout Today for details on how to participate;
- Co-authoring a community communication with key community stakeholders scheduled for release on August 12th;
- Participating in a community health and wellness campaign that includes the university and key community stakeholders. UW-Stout Marketing Communications has designed the campaign materials.
The university also signed a joint letter to the County Board of Supervisors supporting the Public Health Department issuing a county mask-wearing order. The letter was signed by several leaders representing the city, education, healthcare, downtown businesses, and non- profits.
In terms of university operations, we continue to phase back our workforce to campus in preparation for fall semester. A challenging decision was made on Monday by the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (WIAC) chancellors regarding fall athletics. A portion of the full statement is included below:
“Conference seasons and championships in the sports of football, women's soccer, women's volleyball and men's and women's cross country are to be canceled for the 2020-21 academic year. Institutions will retain the autonomy to establish practice opportunities within the limitations stipulated by the NCAA throughout the 2020-21 academic year.
All competition in the sports of women's tennis & women's golf will be suspended for the 2020-21 fall term. The WIAC seasons and championships in the sports of women's tennis and women's golf will be moved to the 2020-21 spring term. Institutions will retain the autonomy to establish practice opportunities within the limitations stipulated by the NCAA during the fall term.
Determinations with regards to the winter sports season, including the start date and the manner in which competition will be conducted, will be determined at a later date.”
I know that this was difficult news for our staff, student-athletes, and fans to receive, and I appreciate the work of our colleagues in Athletics to support our student-athletes.
Please mark your calendar for the next virtual employee forum scheduled for August 4th at 2:00 p.m. You can join here.
As always, thank you for all that you are doing to prepare for a safe fall semester.
Sincerely,
Katherine P. Frank
Chancellor