Colleges of Distinction highlights UW-Whitewater support of international students
July 04, 2025
Written by Kristine Zaballos | Photos by Craig Schreiner and Kyle Winter
For the ninth consecutive year, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has been named among the Colleges of Distinction, a national honor that recognizes campuses for exceptional teaching and dedication to student success. UW-Whitewater is one of just five public universities in the state to receive this distinction.
For the second year in a row, UW-Whitewater has been awarded the international badge, and is the only public university other than UW-Madison in the state to earn this distinction. To be recognized, UW-Whitewater must be seen as a university that goes above and beyond to support international students, demonstrating their dedication to helping students from around the world not only adjust — but truly thrive.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for the educational experience international students are having at UW-Whitewater. Small classes, approachable professors, welcoming community — these are just some of the things that allow international students to experience the best of what UWW and the US have to offer,” said John McGuigan, director of the Center for Global Education. “And just as our Warhawks can learn and grow through studying overseas, they benefit as well from working side-by-side with students from around the world. International students bring such a wide range of experiences and perspectives to the classroom and campus. They add real vitality to the campus and local community.”
Camp counselor Theo Billson, a mathematics major who is an international student from Lindfield, England, holds the phone for campers to see their picture during a break on June 18, 2025. (UW-Whitewater photo/Craig Schreiner)
UW-Whitewater is also the only university among the Universities of Wisconsin to earn a badge in military support, recognizing an institution’s efforts to support and cultivate the skills that military students bring to the classroom while helping them achieve their personal and professional goals. Among the resources and support services recognized by the badge are the university’s Veterans, Military Service and Family Members Lounge, two full-time veterans support staff members, an active Chancellor’s Committee on Veterans and Military Student Success and a dedicated website of resources for students.
The international and military support badges round out existing badges that highlight UW-Whitewater’s excellence in business, education, equity and inclusion and as a public institution in Wisconsin. And it continues to be the only college in the Universities of Wisconsin to earn the career development badge and one of just two universities in the state to be awarded the affordability badge.
To be named a College of Distinction, UW-Whitewater demonstrates continued excellence in undergraduate education in such factors as student engagement, teaching excellence, outcomes-based learning, and community involvement. This evaluation process differs from those of popular college rankings publications, whose formulas grade institutions based on factors like faculty salaries, endowment size, and peer opinion.
The Colleges of Distinction selection process consists of a review of each institution’s freshman experience and retention efforts alongside its general education programs, alumni success, strategic plan, student satisfaction, and other criteria. Schools are accepted on the basis that they adhere to the four distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, successful outcomes and vibrant community.
Distinction 1: Engaged students
Beto Patino Luna, a geography and physics double major from Janesville, presents his poster at the McNair Scholar undergraduate research program symposium in Old Main Ballroom on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Patino Luna was recently announced as one of 441 recipients nationwide of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. (UW-Whitewater photo/Craig Schreiner)
Distinction 2: Great teaching
Roger Yin, professor of information technology, connects with students in his IT Infrastructure class in Hyland Hall on Feb. 6, 2025. Yin is the 2025 W.P. Roseman Excellence in Teaching Award recipient. (UW-Whitewater photo/Kyle Winter)
Distinction 3: Vibrant communities
Two students at UW-Whitewater embraced the power of shared experiences — and a resulting fast friendship — to make the most out of their time as Warhawks. Alma Diaz-Cosme and Maribel Rodriguez met as students at UW-Whitewater at Rock County, where the campus community embraced them and eased their eventual transition to the Whitewater campus. (UW-Whitewater photo/Kyle Winter)
Read more about Maribel and Alma
Distinction 4: Successful outcomes
Warhawk alumna Lisa Werner is not only a music educator and band director at St. Bruno Parish School in Dousman, she is an adventurer and an explorer — actively seeking out ways to form a connection between what she teaches in class and the broader world. A passion for education drives her to extremes: playing a trombone while experiencing zero gravity with NASA, exploring a Teacher at Sea experience off the coast of northern California, and traveling to the end of the Earth to participate in research as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow with National Geographic in Antarctica. (UW-Whitewater photo/Craig Schreiner)
