Dean Blankenship moves forward on strong campus foundations

By Laurie Krasin, University Relations Director

Arriving at the UW-Fond du Lac campus in the summer of 2002 on the heels of a $13 million renovation project, Dean Daniel J. Blankenship, Ph.D. was able to sharpen his focus on what was happening inside of the buildings.

“We had a beautiful campus, the much needed renovation was complete and the focus could move towards expansion of our educational offerings, community collaboration and involvement and adding to the academic support environment for our students,” Blankenship recalled.

Moving here from Montana with his wife, Kay, and their two daughters, Blankenship remembers being impressed by the results of the renovation project which transformed an aging institution into what is often referred to as a “jewel” of the community.

“The state-of-the-art classrooms, the Prairie Theater, the University Center with the impressive new Commons area, were poised for the next generations of students,” said Blankenship. “We could concentrate on what happens inside of them. It was much easier to do since the renovation work had been completed.”

To guide the campus forward, Blankenship began by bringing the entire campus community together to formulate a strategic plan in early 2003. “It was important for the campus to tell me what were priorities and create a shared vision for the future. It prepared us for the challenges we faced.”

The resulting plan guided the campus through a time period when it saw strong growth in enrollment while at the same time state support for the UW System declined sharply.

“The budgets certainly make everything more challenging,” notes Blankenship. “Students have been faced with steep increases in tuition as the state now provides about one-third of the cost of each student’s education and the tuition has been increased to make up the balance. This is almost the opposite of the situation just ten years ago when the state support for the UW System covered almost two-thirds of the cost.”

Pointing out that all of these successes are shared, Dean Blankenship recalled several new initiatives that have changed the face of the institution in recent years.

“Several ongoing partnerships have been established in the community through the establishment of a service-learning program” said Blankenship.

Service-learning integrates a community experience into an academic course. Its establishment in Fond du Lac was the result of a joint proposal submitted several years ago in collaboration with the Fond du Lac School District. “This has become an important part of the UW-Fond du Lac experience for students and the best part is that both the student and the partner organization are benefiting from the experience,” explained Blankenship.

The Dean is proud that returning adult students have more options than ever before to start or complete their bachelor’s degree right at the local campus. “We continue to work with the UW four-year schools to offer bachelor’s degree completions programs through the UW-Fond du Lac campus. And, this fall we launched a new Fast Track program designed with the needs of adult students in mind.”

He says that other important achievements for the campus include the establishment of the Work Zone and most recently the addition of mental health counseling services on campus. “Our goal is to create an academic support environment that is second to none found at other campuses and serve the needs of students.”

Blankenship is also committed to the ensuring that a liberal arts education is the defining position of the UW-Fond du Lac campus. He encourages faculty members to include a statement on the liberal arts in their course syllabi to help students understand the importance of critical thinking and connecting ideas and concepts with real life. “It is what distinguishes us. It is why we place an important emphasis on study abroad opportunities, internships, service-learning opportunities and assessment.”

As the campus celebrates its 40th anniversary year, Blankenship recognizes the importance of the accomplishments of our alumni. “We all feel such a sense of pride when we hear our alumni speak so strongly about their campus experience here. I want everyone to hear these stories. Alumni often say to me that their time here at UW-Fond du Lac was more significant than any other part of their educational experience.”

To help the campus connect with alumni and the community, an Office of Development with a part-time executive director has been established at UW-Fond du Lac, the first of its kind in the UW Colleges.

And, as much as things often change, the primary mission to provide access to educational opportunities for the community is as true today as it was back in 1968. “What has changed is the way this is accomplished,” said Blankenship. “The technology has certainly opened up more and more opportunities for access.”

Each summer, Dean Blankenship returns to Montana where he and Kay still have strong family ties. While there, he often hikes in the Bob Marshall Wilderness area, one of the largest wilderness areas in the continental United States. “I really enjoy the wilderness experience, often hiking 100 miles over the course of a few weeks.

A licensed pilot since 2000 with his own plane, Blankenship did his ground school training in college and then says he really didn’t do anything else for about 20 years. Then one day, “A friend had a plane and said ‘I’ll teach you how to fly,’” Blankenship laughed.

Over four decades, each of the campus deans brought their personal strengths to the campus and moved it forward.

From Dean Henken’s vision of how a local University of Wisconsin could positively impact the community, to Dean Gottfried’s commitment to expand community outreach and improve the green spaces surrounding the campus, to Dean Goldsmith’s dedication to see the campus rebuilt and become a real jewel in the community, Dean Blankenship has worked to see the campus fully engaged and alive with activities and opportunities for students and the community.