Chancellor Manohar Singh has completed his first 100 days at UW Oshkosh, demonstrating immediate momentum with promising enrollment figures and a successful philanthropic effort that has energized the campus community, he said.
“I think my favorite experience would be our Titan Stadium,” Singh said, describing a “transformational moment,” walking with the team, hand in hand, and calling it “my most favorite, impeccably printed on my memory to the day I leave this world.”
Singh said that these uplifting student experiences are part of a broader mission, emphasizing both the university’s recent struggles and the collaborative spirit driving recovery.
“The university had gone through significant financial challenges over the last five to seven years, and the last two years were the toughest ones,” he said. “Spirits were down. The pride was down. That’s what made me think, as a chancellor, I need to bring back the morale. … I bring back a spirit of positivity and optimism.”
Drawing on feedback from campus stakeholders, Singh underlined his inclusive approach.
“It is our vision,” he said. “So I knew we need to create a collaborative, shared vision, and then we need to create a strategic plan. You will all have a say in this.”
The progress is reflected in a series of action steps across the university.
“We just invested from the foundation board, got $100,000 invested,” Singh said, referencing the Titan Tough program for first-generation and Pell Grant students.
Titan Tough is a new program focused on addressing Wisconsin’s specific workforce demands to support economic growth, emphasizing the development and inclusion of talent from rural and agricultural communities.
New academic programs and “accelerated graduate program(s)” are planned, and athletics is expanding with “the launch of women’s flag football,” which Singh called “the biggest and most concrete” recent initiative.
Financial transparency and student support are also at the forefront.
“We are looking at financials completely to make everyone see where we stand,” Singh said. “Transparency is another very big step. Communication is a third big step.”
Singh credits campus unity for the positive results.
“It’s not just because I’ve taken some steps,” he said. “It’s because we have taken some steps together — my team and my staff and my faculty colleagues are just marvelous. Everywhere I go, I see that positivity.”
Key performance numbers support Singh’s optimism.
“Our incoming class of graduate students … is 17% higher than last year. … Our retention is up from 69% to 72.5%. … All those are proof that we have started to turn the corner,” he said. “And I see onwards and upward are the only two directions we’re gonna go from here.”
Looking ahead, Singh remains committed to “strategically rebuilding departments,” “rebalancing department allocation” and “hiring strategically where I need to hire.”
Singh also praised relationships with other university leaders.
“I think we are a good team together as chancellor because we’re all committed to our mission of educating Wisconsinites to the best of their abilities and contributing to the prosperity of our state,” he said.
With morale on the rise and plans for the future, the message from the chancellor and students alike is clear: UWO is turning the page and building a university where everyone has a stake in its progress.
