IN THE SWIM

The season home opener for Carroll’s swimming and diving program marked the debut of a refreshed and renovated Van Male Natatorium. The summer updates to the traditional six-lane, 25-yard pool, which can accommodate 300 spectators, included necessary upgrades such as a fresh coat of paint, new pool deck, flooring and liner, upgraded lighting and ventilation systems, a new chemical filtration system and updated Carroll University Pioneer branding.

F1RST Magazine tells the stories of pioneers, of Wisconsin’s first university and of the resolute, creative and fearless men and women who push it forward—the alumni, students, faculty and staff of Carroll University—through truly pioneering content and design.

Carroll University is Wisconsin’s first four-year institution of higher learning. This independent, co-educational comprehensive university is grounded in the Presbyterian heritage and liberal arts tradition. The Office of Marketing and Communications publishes F1RST for alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of the university. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editors or the official policies of Carroll University. We welcome your comments to editor@carrollu.edu

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The Giving Tree

A black walnut that graced Main Lawn for more than a century lives on.

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Road Work

Wright Street on the road to becoming a center for student life.

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Neurodiversity

Behind a campus-wide effort to acknowledge and embrace neurodiverse students.

ON THE COVER

How many campus landmarks can you spot in this fanciful illustration by Lennis Mathews?

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Highlights

The impending arrival of summer means that another exciting and productive academic year is drawing to a close. As we anticipate long sunny days and warm weather, we are also provided a great opportunity to reflect on the recent achievements this year at Carroll. This issue of F1RST Magazine highlights many of them.

Campus facility upgrades continue at Carroll and one special renovation project this year was in historic Voorhees Hall. The configuration of campus spaces and the way they serve our students profoundly impacts the student experience both inside and outside the classroom, and sends important messages about Carroll’s desire to make sure all of the members of our community feel welcome on campus. I’m thrilled as I watch prospective students and their families, current students, alumni, faculty and staff interact within the remodeled spaces in Voorhees. Our visitors to campus (and future Pioneers) are met with a fresh welcome center as part of the newly renovated Gladys McKay Richter Lobby. The pictures on page 12 capture this amazing transformation, and an elevator now makes all floors of the building fully accessible to all who visit Voorhees!

Carroll continually strives to be a pioneering learning community. That commitment is on display in this issue’s story on neurodiversity. You will read about how our faculty and staff are making a commitment to not just understanding – but embracing – the varied ways in which people learn. These efforts are a natural extension of Carroll’s ethos of respect, integrity and stewardship.

Students across our campus are demonstrating that same spirit of service. A core community service component at Carroll – our CCEs (cross-cultural experiences) have allowed for unique and memorable off-campus cultural immersion for our students. The study away educational component has been part of the proverbial lifeblood of our campus for many decades now. In this issue, you’ll read about how these cross-cultural experiences are making a strong and steady return.

The return to vibrancy for our campus can be seen along Wright Street. We have bold plans to transform this small street, lined with historic homes, into a central hub for student life and engagement, one that celebrates our various student groups. In the months ahead, we plan to further make this street a lively extension of campus where other student affinity groups can have designated spaces to gather, socialize and collaborate. This work is also centrally connected to our strategic plan. Read more about our plans for Wright Street on page 11.

The ongoing enhancement of our campus facilities, student experiences and strong academics all work in symmetry to nurture the underlying strength and vitality of Carroll University. As always, we are grateful for your support of our students and your interest in Carroll. Wishing each of you a relaxing and

Cindy Gnadinger President

PART OF THE TEAM ProHealth Care Partnership Benefits MSN-DE Students

Carroll’s Department of Nursing is now partnering with local healthcare leader ProHealth Care to offer clinical placements to MSN-Direct Entry students, where they will work directly with nursing staff. This mutually beneficial clinical education model – also known as Designated Educational Units (DEU) – allows students to care for patients alongside CU faculty, who act as ambassadors supporting students and nursing staff.

“The students are functioning as part of the team instead of as outsiders,” says Teri Kaul, chairperson for Carroll’s Nursing Department. “We are excited to continue to develop new clinical placement opportunities with ProHealth Care.”

This is the first DEU opportunity for both Carroll and ProHealth Care, now taking place on ProHealth Care Waukesha and Oconomowoc campuses.