• News tips, submissions
• Questions, comments
• Contact webmaster

• Regents designate UW-Stout as Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

The University of Wisconsin-Board of Regents on Friday gave the nod to UW-Stout's desire to become the state's only polytechnic university.

Meeting on the campus of UW-Parkside near Kenosha, the Regents voted unanimously to designate UW-Stout as "Wisconsin's Polytechnic University."

The new designation will not change the name of the university, but school officials say it will be used to help market the university and to organize the university.

"Now the hard part starts," said Doug Mell, UW-Stout spokesman. "Now we have to use the designation to push the campus forward."

He added that Charles Sorensen, UW-Stout chancellor, put a lot of effort into getting the designation and wants it to mean something.

"He doesn't want this to be just words," said Mell. "He wants to put this designation to work and make it a part of the school's culture."

No extra funding was asked for with the designation and school officials say that none is needed.

Mell added that the designation will aid the region economically, but that there is no way of knowing the exact impact.