STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — More than 2,000 new students have settled in Stevens Point for the new school year at UWSP, and Mayor Mike Wiza has a message for all of them.
“When you are here, you are part of our community,” says Wiza. “It doesn’t matter where you are from, anywhere in the country, anywhere in the world. You are welcome here. I want parents and students to feel safe and like they are part of the community.”
Interim Chancellor Pratima Gandhi echoes this sentiment, noting that the University is part of the city’s success. “I want [students] to see how wonderful the city of Stevens Point is, and eventually I want them to graduate and stay in our area. There are so many opportunities in Central Wisconsin.”
Both say they collaborate frequently to ensure that their strategic plans are aligned and mutually beneficial. Wiza says that’s especially important with the upcoming Division Street reconstruction. “Campus [leaders] have been a big part of that. They have been at [most] of the meetings. We are all stakeholders in this; we play a role in sharing this community.
“The University has [its] own Master Plan. [The city] has our own Master Plan, but they are always refrencing each other,” added Wiza.
The Mayor also credits the University with building the city’s vibrant arts scene. “Not only do [students] integrate in our workforce, but they [also] integrate in things you wouldn’t necessarily expect. Do you think that a community without a campus like UWSP could support three or four art galleries? Three or four theaters and theater groups. The live music, everything that goes on, is somehow connected to UWSP.”
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