[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 172 (Wednesday, December 12, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H9324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STOUT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, last week President Bush and Commerce 
Secretary Don Evans announced the recipients of the Malcolm Baldrige 
Award, our Nation's highest honor in quality and performance 
excellence, named after the 26th Secretary of Commerce. It is my 
pleasure to join them in congratulating the University of Wisconsin-
Stout for becoming the first university ever to receive the award. I 
would also like to commend my good friend Chuck Sorenson, the 
chancellor at Stout, and the entire faculty and staff there for their 
hard work and dedication in helping make UW-Stout the extraordinary 
institution it is today.
  In 1987, Congress established the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality 
Award to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. businesses. The award 
promotes quality awareness, recognizes the quality and performance 
achievements of U.S. organizations, and publicizes successful 
performance strategies.
  It is given to U.S. organizations that have exemplary achievements in 
seven areas: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, 
information and analysis, human resource focus, process management, and 
business results. All applicants for the Baldrige Award undergo a 
rigorous examination process that requires nearly 1,000 hours of 
outside review. Teams of examiners visit the finalists to clarify 
questions and verify information; and finally, an independent board of 
examiners reviews all applications and produces a report citing 
strengths and opportunities for improvement.
  I am pleased that UW-Stout has received such a prestigious award. 
Many of us in western Wisconsin have long known the outstanding work 
done by the students, the faculty and the staff at UW-Stout that have 
made it an exceptional institution of higher education. UW-Stout is an 
outstanding role model for the 21st century education organizations, 
and it will now gain the national recognition their efforts deserve.
  UW-Stout Stout is one of 13 publicly supported universities in the 
University of Wisconsin system. It has approximately 1,200 faculty and 
staff and about 7,700 students. UW-Stout offers 27 undergraduate and 16 
graduate degrees. In addition to undergraduate and graduate degree 
programs, there are a variety of outreach programs and services to 
business, industry and society, and provides a full rage of support 
services to students.
  In addition, UW-Stout's ``mission driven-market smart'' focus is 
characterized by an array of programs leading to professional careers, 
primarily in industry and education. It has maintained graduation 
replacement rates at or above 98 percent since 1996, and employers have 
consistently rated 99 to 100 percent of its graduates as prepared to 
work.
  Although the Malcolm Baldrige Award is a tremendous achievement for 
UW-Stout, it is not the first award that the University has received. 
UW-Stout has received multiple awards for innovative programs and 
partnerships. In April 2001, UW-Stout received the national recognition 
from Newsweek as one of 34 schools cited as a ``hidden treasure.''
  Some of the other awards include the 1995 Governor's Glass Ceiling 
Award; the 1999 Outstanding Award for Technology Transfer from the 
National Association of Management and Technical Assistance Centers; 
and the 1998 American Association of University Women Equity Initiative 
Award Winner.
  Furthermore, UW-Stout has excelled in applying technology to 
instruction. Technology, when used effectively, can stimulate learning, 
enrich lives and create greater opportunity for the future of UW-
Stout's students.
  Beginning in the fall of 2002, toting laptops to class will soon be 
as common as carrying books. UW-Stout is the first university in 
Wisconsin to launch an initiative that will place a laptop in the hands 
of every incoming freshman.
  To make the notebook computers even more portable, the program opted 
to use cutting-edge wireless technology. Each laptop is equipped to 
communicate with one of several Lucent base stations located on campus, 
allowing students to work on their laptops while in the classroom, the 
hallways, or even outdoors.
  That is, however, only one of UW-Stout's innovative achievements. It 
is truly an exceptional university, and I am proud that this university 
is in my congressional district back in western Wisconsin.
  Again, I am pleased UW-Stout has achieved the Malcolm Baldrige 
National Quality Award. They are truly a leader in the field of higher 
education, and I commend them for their hard work.

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