Celene Frey knows the importance of professional development to retain and revitalize staff.
“You get stale. You get slightly bored and unmotivated,” she said. “Going to a conference or training creates an opportunity to experience something new, which helps keep people fresh and excited about their work. They see themselves being able to grow by meeting other people and sharing their experiences.”
Frey is a University of Wisconsin-Stout alumna earning her Bachelor of Science degree in home economics education in 1979 and her Master of Science degree in education in 1997.
Frey started working at UW-Stout in the fall of 1980 as a limited-term employee recruiting new students for Advisement and School Relations. In 2017 she started the Celene Frey Endowed Fund for Non-Instructional Academic and University Staff.
The fund was created during the Pathways Forward comprehensive campaign conducted by Stout University Foundation. The campaign recently wrapped up with $48.5 million, surpassing its initial $35 million goal. The campaign was divided into three “pathways,” and Frey’s donation was in the Student Experience pathway, which raised more than $22 million.
Her fund was established to encourage the pursuit of training, research opportunities, conferences and other professional development. Applicants must be employed in a full-time, noninstructional academic or university staff position.
Noninstructional staff positions make up a large portion of the campus and include academic advising, new student orientation, student activities, financial aid and communications. University staff positions include maintenance workers, custodians, food service workers and office administrative assistants.
As a recruiter, she was on the road four days a week visiting high schools and technical colleges and attending college fairs sharing with students the benefits of attending UW-Stout. She also helped students fill out admissions paperwork and apply for financial aid and scholarships.
“I loved it,” she said. “It was so much fun. Students were so excited to talk to me about going to UW-Stout. It was a wonderful experience.”
After the LTE position ended, Frey started another LTE position in the Placement Office, now known as Career Services, doing administrative assistant work, until she was hired back as a full-time recruiter.
She retired in 2014 as a senior student services coordinator for the Advisement Center.
Frey recalled the first time she was able to attend a professional conference. It was eye-opening for her to learn how colleagues at other institutions with similar jobs had different and new ideas. “It was a growing experience,” she said. “It was refreshing and inspirational and I came back with ideas.”
The 2019 Celene Frey Endowed Fund awarded $900 to Joshua Schram, chair of the University Staff Senate. The funds were used to bring Joe Sanfelippo, Fall Creek High School principal, leadership expert and motivational speaker, to campus Dec. 13 to talk about service excellence and leadership.
Schram, a Facilities Management specialist advanced, said university staff are another large part of the campus. “When you talk to alumni about their campus memories, many of them talk about university staff employees who they made connections and relationships with. Many stay in contact with those employees long after college is done,” he said.
“Having this fund allows professional development to empower and encourage noninstructional and university staff employees to help with the challenges that face students and the campus,” Schram added. “I feel these employees have vital contact points with students. Mental health, retention, friendships and hands-on life skills are all things that these staff members impact on a level that is outside of the classroom setting.”
Having professional development separates great organizations from those that struggle to fulfill their missions and retain good employees, Schram said. “This fund enables professional development, that when effective, both noninstructional employees and university staff become part of the UW-Stout vision of preparing lifelong learners, ethical leaders and responsible citizens,” he added.
The deadline to apply for the endowed fund is Nov. 1 each year.
Frey decided to establish the fund so there would be money available forever for noninstructional academic staff and university staff professional development.
“UW-Stout was very good for me and to me throughout my years as a student and an employee,” said Frey, of Menomonie. “I wanted to create an opportunity for others.”
The Student Experience pathway also included:
Hafner family endowment
Fellow UW-Stout alumni Tracy and Kerry Hafner, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., created two endowments in applied mathematics and computer science. Tracy graduated in home economics with a business concentration in 1981. Kerry graduated in 1982 in applied mathematics. They wanted to give something back to UW-Stout.
The Hafner Family Endowed Statistics and Mathematics Professional Development Fund was established to support development and research for faculty. This includes statistics and mathematic faculty to attend and present at conferences, industry shows and competitions, participate in travel opportunities and conduct faculty research
Chancellor’s Fund
UW-Stout also has a Chancellor’s Fund for Teaching Excellence and Student Success, which was established in 2014. It helps faculty and staff participate in a variety of professional development activities.
During the Pathways Forward campaign, the Chancellor’s Fund raised nearly $500,000.
Conferences and industry training allow faculty and staff to remain current with industry standards and provide students with relevant learning experiences in classrooms and laboratories.
Faculty-led research and collaborative partnerships enhance students’ learning experiences and help attract and retain top teaching talents.
Showcasing faculty research at nationwide conferences reinforces the UW-Stout polytechnic mission of applied learning and reputation of caring and knowledgeable faculty.
