University Of Wisconsin–Platteville
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University of Wisconsin–Platteville (UW–Platteville or UW Platt) is a
public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...
in
Platteville, Wisconsin Platteville is the largest city in Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 11,836 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located atop the greater Platte River (Wisconsin), Platte River valley in the southern Dr ...
, United States. Part of the
University of Wisconsin System The University of Wisconsin System is a state public university system in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is one of the largest public higher-education systems in the country, enrolling more than 160,000 students each year and employing approx ...
, it offers
bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ( ...
and
master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
degrees across three colleges and enrolls approximately 6,500 students as of 2022.


History

The university grew from the 1959 merger of two schools: Wisconsin State College, Platteville, and the Wisconsin Institute of Technology. WSC–Platteville was founded in 1866 as "Platteville Normal School", the first teacher preparation school in Wisconsin. It was renamed "Platteville State Teachers College" in 1926 and "Wisconsin State College, Platteville" in 1951. The Wisconsin Institute of Technology, founded in 1907 as the "Wisconsin Mining Trade School", was founded to train technicians for the numerous mining operations around Platteville. It evolved into the first three-year program for mining engineers in the United States. It changed its name to the "Wisconsin Institute of Technology" in 1939. The merged school took the name "Wisconsin State College and Institute of Technology" in 1959. In 1966, along with Wisconsin's other state colleges, it was granted university status as "Wisconsin State University–Platteville". It took its current name, the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, after the Wisconsin State University system merged with the University of Wisconsin in 1971. Starting in the late 1960s, the University of Wisconsin–Platteville expanded its academic program and established new colleges, the largest being a business college. The mining college was transformed into an
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
college encompassing mining, electrical, mechanical, and eventually electronic engineering. In the late 1980s, the mining engineering degree was phased out because of falling enrollment. By that time it had been overshadowed by the other engineering degrees. From 1984 to 2000, the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
held pre-season training camp at UW–Platteville. They were considered a member of the "Cheese League" that in 1999 consisted of the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
,
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
and
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
, with each team practicing at a different university in Wisconsin. In 2001, the
Illinois General Assembly The Illinois General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. It has two chambers, the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in ...
asked the Bears to move to an Illinois practice facility in order to raise funds for remodeling
Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
. Before the Bears left, they donated $250,000 to UW–Platteville for a new computer lab, which was named "The Bears Den". In the 1980s, UW–Platteville made an effort to bring businesses to the Platteville area to take advantage of university resources.
Rockwell Automation Rockwell Automation, Inc. is an American provider of industrial automation and digital transformation technologies headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its brands include Allen-Bradley, FactoryTalk software and LifecycleIQ Services. Rockwell ...
started this trend in the 1980s when it recruited two engineering professors at UW–Platteville to start an engineering firm. Rockwell provided financing and awarded them major contracts. The resulting business was Insight Industries, which later changed to
AVISTA Inc. Avista Corporation is an American energy company which generates and transmits electricity and distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Approximately 1,550 employees provide electricity, natural gas, and othe ...
(now a division of
Esterline Esterline Technologies Corporation was a publicly traded company that designs, manufactures, and markets specialty products primarily for aerospace and defense customers. The company is best known as a supplier of products and equipment for aer ...
, Inc.). On June 16, 2014, an
EF2 tornado The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated EF-Scale) is a scale that rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage a tornado causes. It is used in the United States and France, among other countries. The EF scale is also unofficially ...
struck the UW–Platteville campus, causing $18.6 million in damage. The Agriculture and Manual Arts Building/Platteville State Normal School, now known as Ullrich Hall, is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. In 2018, the University of Wisconsin System restructured through the Collaborative Integration Project, which bound the University of Wisconsin Colleges to the Universities. The University of Wisconsin-Richland and the University of Wisconsin-Baraboo/Sauk County were joined with Platteville as branch campuses, and renamed the University of Wisconsin–Platteville Richland and the University of Wisconsin–Platteville Baraboo/Sauk County respectively. On May 19, 2025, two students were killed in a shooting at a residence hall on campus.


Campus

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville (UW–Platteville) campus is in size: *Campus proper: *Pioneer Farm: *The mound: Since 2015, UW‐Platteville has had a written plan to guide decisions affecting the 362 acres of our campus. This plan “…establishes a broad scope for how we plan to oversee our land in the future and strives to responsibly invest in and steward our 120 acres of open space.” UW–Platteville's campus has no city streets that cut through campus. During the 1960s, all city streets and parking lots within the campus were replaced with wide sidewalks and manicured lawns. UW–Platteville has 13
residence halls A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...
. Southwest Hall opened in the fall of 2006. To accommodate a rapidly growing student body, Rountree Commons opened in August 2012 and Bridgeway Commons opened in August 2013. Ullsvik Hall, renovated and expanded between 2006 and 2008, houses administrative offices, academic facilities, visitor center, and other support departments. It also has banquet and catering facilities, including the Robert I. Velzy Commons, and the Nohr Art Gallery. In 2002, a new
student union A students' union or student union, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, organizatio ...
, the Markee Pioneer Student Center, was opened at the center of campus. The new location makes the student union the heart of the campus. The union also serves as a technology and activity hub with a large computer lab (the Bear's Den), an involvement center, and on-campus activities. The union houses three of eight dining complexes, the Pioneer Crossing, Pioneer Haus, and The Pioneer Perk. The other location for food on campus is Bridgeway Commons, located in the residence hall section of campus. In 2011 the student center building was named the Markee Pioneer Student Center, after former Chancellor David Markee and his wife Lou Ann.


Campus buildings

File:Elton S. Karrmann Library .jpg, Elton S. Karrmann Library File:Ullrich Hall.jpg, Ullrich Hall File:UW-Platteville.jpg, Aerial view of UW–Platteville file:Rountree Hall.jpg, Rountree Hall File:Markee Pioneer Student Center (UW-Platteville) .jpg, Markee Pioneer Student Center


Organization and administration

The university is part of the
University of Wisconsin System The University of Wisconsin System is a state public university system in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is one of the largest public higher-education systems in the country, enrolling more than 160,000 students each year and employing approx ...
, and has an administrative staff headed by a
Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
. Its colleges are headed by
deans Deans may refer to: People * Austen Deans (1915–2011), New Zealand painter and war artist; grandfather of Julia Deans * Bob Deans (1884–1908), New Zealand rugby union player; grandson of John and Jane Deans * Bruce Deans (1960–2019), New Zeal ...
and departments chairpersons who report to the deans. The university consists of three colleges that offer bachelor's and master's degrees: * The College of Business, Industry, Life Sciences and Agriculture – offering programs in modern business and industrial applications, biology and agricultural sciences. * The College of Liberal Arts and Education – with programs in humanities, social sciences (such as psychology), fine arts and education * The College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science – consisting of electrical, mechanical, industrial, civil/environmental, computer science, software engineering, chemistry, engineering physics, and mathematics.


Academics

In 2004, UWP received approval from the UW system to increase its enrollment from 5,500 to 7,500 students. UWP started a program called the Tri-State Initiative, which aims to attract prospective students from Illinois and Iowa. The enrollment of UWP, as of Spring 2008, stood at 7,795 undergraduates and 830 graduate students. As of 2004, UWP was staffed by 336 faculty. In 1978, the University introduced print-based courses to enable Wisconsin residents living in isolated areas to earn an undergraduate degree in business administration without having to travel to a university campus. In 1996, the residency requirement was amended and the distance program was extended to working adults living throughout the United States. In 1999, online graduate programs in criminal justice, engineering, and project management were introduced, allowing students throughout the world to earn an accredited degree at a distance from UWP. In addition to accredited degree programs, UWP has also developed online leadership and management courses in association with the Wisconsin Department of Justice and on-site project management courses in association with a project management consulting company.


Student life

Of the student body, over 3,700 live in campus residence halls, with a growing number of students staying in town during the weekends. Students who don't live on campus typically live in houses off-campus which are rented by the year. The local music scene has been active, producing several bands a year. UW–Platteville has over 250 clubs and organizations. The student newspaper, ''The Exponent'', is published weekly by a student staff. The student radio station, WSUP, is the oldest radio station in the UW system. The largest celebration by UW–Platteville students is the twice-annual lighting of the Platte Mound M. The "M" is located on Platte Mound, a nearby large hill east of the city of Platteville. Each Spring, the men's and women's rugby clubs host Mudfest on campus, a large fifteen-style
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...
tournament for teams around the
Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
.


Athletics

UW Platteville athletics wordmark UW–Platteville is a member of the
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. In women's gymnastics, it competes alongside Division I and II members, as the NCAA sponsors a singl ...
in 14 sports, including football and basketball. The teams are nicknamed "the Pioneers". Men's sports include basketball, football, indoor and outdoor track and field, cross country, wrestling, soccer, and baseball. Women's sports include basketball, soccer, indoor and outdoor track and field, volleyball, cross country, golf, softball, and cheerleading. All teams compete in NCAA Division III and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. There are also a number of club sports teams such as hockey and lacrosse which are partially funded through the university. The Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium is home to the football team, lacrosse team, and soccer team. Williams Fieldhouse is home to the men's and women's basketball teams. The men's basketball team won NCAA Division III championships in 1991, 1995, 1998, and 1999. The Pioneers qualified for the Division III men's basketball tournament from 1991-1999 and returned 10 years later in 2009.
Bo Ryan William Francis "Bo" Ryan Jr. (born December 20, 1947) is an American former college basketball coach. He was the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball, Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team of the University of Wisconsin–Mad ...
, who later became head coach of the
Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the College athletics in the United States, athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I ...
, guided the Pioneers to a 353-76 record and the best winning percentage in NCAA Division III basketball. Ryan established one of the best home court advantages of all time as the Pioneers only lost 5 games at home in a decade. The team averaged 26 wins a season in the 1990s, when the Division III men's regular season schedule only allowed 25 games per year. The university named the basketball floor "Bo Ryan Court" in January 2007.


Notable people

The following have attended or held positions at University of Wisconsin–Platteville:


Athletics

* Dan Arnold – professional football player * Geep Chryst – college and professional football coach *
Greg Gard Gregory Glen Gard (born December 3, 1970) is an American college basketball coach for the Wisconsin Badgers. Gard took over on December 15, 2015, after Bo Ryan announced his retirement as head coach of the Badgers. Gard is a native of Cobb, Wisc ...
– college basketball player and coach *
Rob Jeter Robert DeLafayette Jeter III (born May 15, 1969) is an American college basketball coach and current head coach at Southern Utah. Personal life Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jeter grew up in Chicago. His father, Bob (1937–2008), was a Ro ...
– college basketball player and coach * Saul Phillips – college basketball player and coach * Chester J. Roberts – college basketball and college football coach *
Bo Ryan William Francis "Bo" Ryan Jr. (born December 20, 1947) is an American former college basketball coach. He was the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball, Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team of the University of Wisconsin–Mad ...
– college basketball coach * Emily Ryan – college soccer coach


Alumni

* Travis Tranel Wisconsin State Representative * James N. Azim, Jr. – Wisconsin State Representative * Taylor G. Brown – Wisconsin State Senator * James R. Charneski – Wisconsin State Representative * Lee Croft – professional football player * Glenn Robert Davis – U.S. Representative * Tom Davis – college basketball coach *
George Engebretson George Engebretson (June 3, 1890 - November 19, 1961) was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. Biography Engebretson was born in Warren, Illinois. He later moved with his family to Wiota, Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin-Plat ...
– Wisconsin State Senator * Charles E. Estabrook
Wisconsin Attorney General The attorney general of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Forty-five individuals have held the office of attorney general since statehood. The incumbent is Josh Kaul, ...
*
Greg Gard Gregory Glen Gard (born December 3, 1970) is an American college basketball coach for the Wisconsin Badgers. Gard took over on December 15, 2015, after Bo Ryan announced his retirement as head coach of the Badgers. Gard is a native of Cobb, Wisc ...
– college basketball coach *
Gary J. Goldberg Gary J. Goldberg is the President, CEO and Director of Newmont Mining Corporation, positions he has held since March 1, 2013. He joined the Newmont Board of Directors at the same time. Career Gary Goldberg has spent over three decades in the mini ...
– President and Chief Executive Officer,
Newmont Mining Corporation Newmont Corporation is an American gold mining company based in Greenwood Village, Colorado. It is the world's largest gold mining corporation. Incorporated in 1921, it holds ownership of gold mines in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Do ...
* William H. Goldthorpe – Wisconsin State Representative * Mike Hintz – professional football player * William A. Jones – Wisconsin State Representative * Arthur W. Kopp – Wisconsin politician and jurist * Dennis R. Larsen
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...
Lieutenant General * James B. McCoy – Wisconsin State Representative * Phil Micech – professional football player * James William Murphy – U.S. Representative * David Ott
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
composer * John F. Reynolds – Wisconsin State Representative and Senator * Elmer Lloyd Rundell – Wisconsin State Representative * Edward H. Sprague – Wisconsin State Representative * Barbara ThompsonWisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction *
Jerome Van Sistine Jerome J. Van Sistine (August 16, 1926January 20, 2015) was an American construction worker and Democratic politician from Green Bay, Wisconsin. He served four terms in the Wisconsin Senate, representing Wisconsin's 30th Senate district from 1 ...
– Wisconsin State Senator *
A. V. Wells Allen Victor Wells (January 13, 1856 – August 11, 1918) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Wells was born on January 13, 1856, in Grant County, Wisconsin. He married Laurinda Ann Hudson in 1899. Wells served on the Grant ...
– Wisconsin State Representative * T. Harry Williams – historian * James Wright – historian and president of
Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...


Faculty

*
Charles Herman Allen Charles Herman Allen (February 11, 1828 – September 11, 1904) was an American educator and academic administrator. He taught classes and served in administrative roles across the U.S. states of New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Wisconsi ...
– founding principal of the Platteville Normal School *
Duncan McGregor Duncan McGregor (16 July 188111 March 1947), was a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league footballer. He was a member of the legendary 1905 Original All Blacks and later converted to rugby league when he went on the 1907 New Zealand league ...
– Wisconsin State Representative * Kathryn Morrison – Wisconsin State Senator


See also

* WSUP-FM – student radio station (90.5 MHz) * Platteville Public Transportation - Transit agency which serves campus


References


External links

*
Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wisconsin-Platteville, University Of
University of Wisconsin-Platteville A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...
Platteville
University of Wisconsin-Platteville A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...
Universities and colleges established in 1866 Buildings and structures in Grant County, Wisconsin Tourist attractions in Grant County, Wisconsin 1866 establishments in Wisconsin Engineering universities and colleges in Wisconsin Universities and colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission