Shortly after arriving on campus, Chancellor Dwight C. Watson began a project in an attempt to help people understand how faculty, students and the community feel about the campus. He asked that people send him one word that they feel best describes Whitewater.

“When I had my ‘Chancellor Chat’, we had a large town hall, and we talked about a lot of things,” Watson said. “I [told the group] the reason I was here was community. That’s when I asked for one word that I think encapsulates my presence here, because I do want to live in a vibrant, intellectual, academic and supportive community.”

Watson worked with the marketing department to collect everyone’s words through two broadcast emails. Sara Kuhl, the Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Marketing and Communications, helped collect and compile all of the words.

“I think the display of the words really helps define how people feel about our campus,” Kuhl said. “The words opportunity, family, community and home really stand out, yet there are many others that are so important like inclusive, student-centered, committed and excellence. There is great pride on our campus and this one-word campaign creates a visual of that pride.”

Many staff and students took part in the project, submitting their one-word answers and critically thinking about what word truly captures the essence of Whitewater.

Ethan Hoeppner, a junior at UW-W, took part in the project by submitting the word “inspiring”.

“I believe the word inspiring encapsulates UW-W for many reasons,” Hoeppner said. “One quote that comes to mind that I heard while at a committee meeting was, ‘come as you are, but leave transformed.’ To me, UW-W is inspiring because it helped show me my potential and achieve things I did not see myself doing.”

For Hoeppner, Whitewater is not only inspiring as a whole, but has helped inspire him personally.

“For me, the students and staff are inspiring at UW-W,” he said. “The drive and the commitment on both ends is never ending. I think the spark that our students have on this campus is amazing and admirable. There really is nothing at this university that our students can’t accomplish.”

The chancellor plans on sharing this project at future presentations to help people see how the community feels about Whitewater.