The University of Wisconsin–Stout (UW–Stout or Stout) 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
Menomonie, Wisconsin
Menomonie () is a city in and the county seat of Dunn County, Wisconsin, United States. The city's population was 16,843 as of the 2020 census.
Menomonie forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Menomonie Micropolitan Statistical A ...
, United States. The
polytechnic university 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 enrolls more than 6,900 students. The school was founded in 1891 and named in honor of its founder, lumber magnate
James Huff Stout.
UW–Stout provides focused programs "related to professional careers in industry, technology, home economics, applied art, and the helping professions."
UW–Stout offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 22 graduate majors, including 2 advanced graduate majors and a doctorate.
History
In 1891, James Huff Stout, a lumber magnate who represented Menomonie in the
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those o ...
, founded the "Stout Manual Training School" as a
manual training school, the first of several educational enterprises he launched in Menomonie. The Manual Training movement was an educational philosophy that influenced modern
vocational education
Vocational education is education that prepares people for a skilled craft. Vocational education can also be seen as that type of education given to an individual to prepare that individual to be gainfully employed or self employed with req ...
. In the United States, this philosophy was established in the 1870s and used to train engineers, later working its way into public education. Manual training promoted a classical liberal education, but emphasizing practical application such as practical judgment, perception and visual accuracy, and manual dexterity over theory. It was not meant to be used to teach specific trades, but rather to enhance the traditional educational model. Students learned drafting, mechanics, woodworking, metal working, in addition to science, mathematics, language, literature, and history. After the American Civil War, leaders of industry and politics were turning to public education to augment existing apprenticeship programs by incorporating Manual Training philosophy into their curricula.

Stout was influenced by the
Arts and Crafts Movement
The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and America.
Initiat ...
, the philosophies of which influenced his own philosophy of education, specifically that making things by hand, through skill and creativity, would provide more thoughtful and creative consumer goods because of the personal satisfaction of the craftsperson. The American interpretation of the Arts and Crafts movement was not in opposition to modern industry. Rather, it embraced creativity and intellectual development as necessary components of the educational model, leading the school to teach classes in drawing, jewelry making, embroidery, and photography.
In addition to the Stout Manual Training School, James Huff Stout established kindergarten classes (1894), a Kindergarten Training School (1899), a School of Physical Culture (1901), training schools for manual training teachers and domestic science teachers (1903), and a Homemaker's School (1907).
In 1908, to simplify and clarify administration, Stout merged his various educational enterprises into the "Stout Institute", which was sold to the state of Wisconsin after Stout's death in 1911.
The school was governed by its own board of trustees until 1955, when it became part of the Wisconsin State Colleges system as "Stout State College". The state colleges were all upgraded to university status in 1965, and accordingly Stout State College became "Stout State University". In 1971, after the merger of the former University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin State Universities, the school became 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 ...
under its present name, the "University of Wisconsin–Stout".
In March 2007, UW–Stout was designated "Wisconsin's Polytechnic University" by the UW System Board of Regents.
Campus

UW–Stout is made up of two parts, a main campus and north campus. The main campus has most classrooms, five of nine residence halls, and three dining facilities, while the north campus is the remaining four residence halls, along with one dining hall and the student health facilities. The campus is with 25 major academic and administrative buildings, 9 residence halls, and 245 laboratories.
More than 3,000 students live on campus. All freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus for their first two academic years. Housing includes traditional dorms and modern suite-styled rooms. There are nine residence halls. All are co-ed.
The Stout Student Association is the
student government
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 ...
representing all students at UW–Stout.
Academics
UW–Stout offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 70 minors, along with 22 graduate degrees.
The Graduate School provides oversight for graduate education at the university. UW–Stout offers three
terminal degree A terminal degree is the highest-level university degree that can be achieved and awarded in an academic discipline or professional field. The term "terminal degree" is also used to refer to a degree that is awarded because a doctorates, doctoral-le ...
programs; the
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.)
is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...
(M.F.A.) in Design, the
Educational Specialist
The Education Specialist, also referred to as Educational Specialist or Specialist in Education (Ed.S., EdS or S.Ed.), is a specialist degree in education which is an advanced professional degree in the U.S. that is designed to provide knowledge ...
degree in both School Psychology and Career & Technical Education, and the
Doctor of Education
Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to:
Titles and occupations
* Physician, a medical practitioner
* Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree
** Doctorate
** List of doctoral degrees awarded ...
(Ed.D.) in Career & Technical Education.
UW–Stout is organized into two colleges: the College of Arts & Human Sciences, which houses the School of Art & Design and the School of Education; and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management, which houses the Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering and the School of Management.
The Graduate School provides oversight for graduate education at the university.
The English as a Second Language Institute offers year-round English immersion courses to non-native English speakers.
Research
The university was designated Wisconsin's
polytechnic university by the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents in the spring of 2007. In 2013, officials from
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...
helped open a
fab lab
A fab lab (''fabrication laboratory'') is a small-scale workshop offering (personal) digital fabrication.
A fab lab is typically equipped with an array of flexible computer-controlled tools that cover several different length scales and variou ...
on the UW–Stout campus, the only university in Wisconsin with such a facility.
Research centers include:
*Applied Research Center
*Archives & Area Research Center
*Assistive Technology & Assessment Center
*Center for Applied Ethics
*Center for Innovation & Development
*Center for Limnological Research & Rehabilitation
*Center for Nutrition Education
*Center for Sustainable Communities
*Child & Family Study Center
*Cybersecurity Research & Outreach Center
*Emerging Center for Career & Technical Education Excellence
*Fab Lab
*Manufacturing Outreach Center
*Menard Center for the Study of Institutions & Innovation
*Nakatani Teaching & Learning Center
*People Process Culture
*Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute
*Weidner Center for Residential Property Management
Stout Technology and Research Park
Just east of the main campus lies the Stout Technology and Research Park, an area housing facilities and laboratories dedicated to research, high technology, engineering, product development and prototype manufacturing, product testing, experimental and commercial testing, and light manufacturing. Business and industry entities located in the STBP include facilities owned by
3M,
Andersen Corporation, and
ConAgra Foods
Conagra Brands, Inc. (formerly ConAgra Foods) is an American consumer packaged goods holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Conagra makes and sells products under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, ...
.
Athletics

UW–Stout's athletic varsity teams mascot is the Blue Devils, and the athletic colors are navy blue and white.
The school competes in the
WIAC in
NCAA Division III
NCAA Division III (D-III) is the lowest division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that do not offer athletic scholarships to student- ...
(D-III). The women's gymnastics team is affiliated with National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA).
As a D-III university, student athletes compete without the benefit of athletics aid or scholarships. Men's teams include: baseball, basketball, cross country,
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
, golf, ice hockey, soccer and track and field. Women's teams include: basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball.
UW–Stout was the first university among the Universities of Wisconsin with a varsity
esports
Esports (), short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, played individually or as teams. ...
program.
The Blue Devils compete as members of the
National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE).
Notable alumni
References
External links
*
Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:University Of Wisconsin-Stout
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Stout
Stout is a type of dark beer that is generally warm fermented, such as dry stout, oatmeal stout, milk stout and imperial stout. Stout is a type of ale.
The first known use of the word "stout" for beer is in a document dated 1677 in the E ...
Universities and colleges established in 1891
Buildings and structures in Dunn County, Wisconsin
Education in Dunn County, Wisconsin
Tourist attractions in Dunn County, Wisconsin
1891 establishments in Wisconsin
Universities and colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission