The Wisconsin Idea in Motion
Many of us may hear the Wisconsin Idea referenced from time-to-time, but what does it really mean and has it ever been seen in action? The Wisconsin Idea is one of the longest traditions surrounding the university.
“The Wisconsin Idea signifies a general principle: that education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom.”
Overtime, this idea and public service philosophy have evolved to mean and look like many things across campus. One such recent example is how the Office of the Registrar’s telecommuting “experiment” has benefited another colleague in the state, and nationally. Athletic Eligibility Coordinator Tristin Marotz, with then-supervisor Jeff Armstrong, developed a proposal for telecommuting to work from another state, which was approved and she has since been successfully executing. Additionally, due to its success, Tristin has shared resources and what she has learned in her telecommuting journey with others in the office, at state and national conferences, and through journal articles. After Tristin talked about her experience at WACRAO, a staff member from UW-Milwaukee reached out to Tristin, as they were hoping to propose something similar for their own position. Tristin went above-and-beyond to provide materials via email and her own written proposal, which delineates the conditions of her arrangement. The UW-Milwaukee employee expressed extreme gratefulness to Tristin for not only sharing these resources, but also taking the time to provide perspective on how to approach the topic with a supervisor. University Registrar Scott Owczarek, expressed how this is yet another example of why it is invaluable for us to be at the table and engaged in conversations with our colleagues across the State. The professional relationships we develop with colleagues are incredibly important to the success of not only our campus, but partner campuses.“I shall never be content until the beneficent influence of the university reaches every family of the state.” – UW President Charles Van Hise, 1905