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“If we want to be a top-tier institution, we’ll need new strategies driven by what works best for elite institutions, while changing what isn’t working for us now,” Schmidt says. “This will require all of us to grab an oar and row in the same direction.”

During the annual Blugold Breakfast and academic year opening meeting Tuesday, Schmidt said the focus will grow the institution by attracting new students and helping to shape the future of Wisconsin.

Schmidt says every university department will contribute to UW-Eau Claire’s plan grounded in three vital pillars: student success, becoming a national leader in healthcare education and championing collaboration.

“These pillars can form a foundation to help us reach our vision of being a strong, growing institution,” Schmidt says. “As we seek to attract students who can be successful in rigorous programs, we will also become a more selective institution — a hallmark of the top-tier, strong institutions.”

Schmidt emphasized that the university is not abandoning its mission to help all students to succeed or its commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

“But we must step up and commit wholly to our mission of serving the public good, and do so in the ways this university is uniquely equipped to make a difference,” Schmidt says. “And shaping the future of healthcare is that public good.

“Our distinctiveness in healthcare education serves the public good. In making a difference for the region, state and beyond, we will become a strong, thriving university. We must act now.”

The university needs to grow and hone its relationships with donors, innovation and research partners, and global collaborators, Schmidt says. UW-Eau Claire needs to reinforce the value of its partnership with Mayo Clinic Health System and continue to develop its collaborations with partners like Hewlett Packard Enterprise, GE Healthcare, Epic Systems and Johnson Controls.

Schmidt also challenged the university to create a new named honors college “that can be a beacon to talented students and epitomize the Blugold advantage.” The honors college will be the cornerstone for UW-Eau Claire to set itself apart and join the top tier of strong universities around the country, Schmidt says.

Winners of the 2024 faculty and staff excellence awards were announced during the event.