This link includes a timeline for volunteering at CUW.

http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/1269069

Concordia University Wisconsin’s campus is located in a Mequon. This is an issue for most of the students who are live in Milwaukee and have no options with the transportation, because it is hard to find it.

“CUW has everything that any student need for studying or living except for the transportation,” Hassan Alshikh said.

This is an everyday problem for those students who live out said the campus.

“I have a car, so I just drive everywhere. There are taxis in the area and a nearby bus stop that goes to Milwaukee,” Hassan said.

There is some students who have cars, but some of them don’t, so they have to take the bus which is between one to two hours to the university, so this  wastes of time.

“Transportation is okay. I do not see the city buses very often but that is because I am not looking for them. I believe the buses only drive down towards Milwaukee though. They might drive to other nearby cities but I’m not sure. It is nice to have a car if you want to go get fast food, or visit someone’s house, or to go grocery shopping,” Hassan said.

Hassan said CUW does offer student transportation options.

“At the University, everything on campus is within walking distance. Getting off campus is possible by cars or riding with friends who have cars. There is a campus shuttle for off-campus activities,” Hassan said.

Some student has solved this issue by taking online classes, but this not solves the biggest problem.

CUW gave what the school could offer to the students, but they need more support from the state to help the students who came here to study at this beautiful campus, and those who cannot attend with other students who did not have the chance to study at the campus because of the transportation issue.

Finding more options and solutions for the students would come if the responsible of the transportation has heard to the student’s idea. Who would give solutions for the problem better than who suffer.

The administration at Concordia University Wisconsin cut power to dorms on Good Friday, March 25. The power cut-off was announced via email.

“Essentially, we have a very large campus. As we grow and need to repair and replace things, we have to do a campus wide outage. And the times when we can do that are fairly limited,” Vice President of Student Life Steve Taylor said.

Taylor emphasized the challenges of scheduling a campus-wide power outage.

“You have to coordinate between our staff, electricians, third parties, and WE energies,” Taylor said, of the logistical difficulties of these scheduled power outages.

Some students felt that there was not adequate forewarning. Many students learned about the outage hours before, and by word of mouth.

“Honestly, I didn’t even know about it until I texted one of my roommates and he told me it would be out in the morning,” CUW student Aaron Lemke said.

Showering, charging electronics, and getting dressed were difficult or impossible because of the outage. “I had to do basically everything in the dark,” Lemke said.

In addition, Lemke decided not to try to shower in the dark however; he was concerned that it would be too great of a slipping hazard.

Taylor acknowledged that the power outage inconvenienced many students, but said that Good Friday was chosen by the administration because CUW was closed that day, and the number of on-campus students was very low.

“I would say, if you have to be on campus, try to find something you want to do that doesn’t require electricity,” Taylor said. “As some would say, that’s a great day to read a book.”

Lemke said some of his football teammates from Arizona wondered why the power outage hadn’t been scheduled to take place over spring break instead.

He also said more advance notification and setting up alternative activities could make power outages easier for these students.

Concordia University Wisconsin provide services for all students, including academic advising, but some students have had issues with this process.

Director of Academic Advising Sara Depies said the university helps advisors and students to form a relationship.

“Each student is assigned a special advisor which considers several factors – major, minor, concentration, etc. We encourage each student is should meet with their advisor at least once a semester. If students feel their questions are not being adequately answered, they are always welcome to visit our office,” Depies said.

According to Depies, the academic catalog provides a resource for students seeking information about classes.

“The academic catalog has a clear listing of all requirements for each academic program. It’s also one of the Advising Office’s student learning outcomes – to help students learn to advocate for themselves and navigate the auditing of their degree. Again, if a student is feeling lost, we always welcome them to meet with our office,” Depies said.

According to Depies, some faculty aren’t well-versed in the advising process.

“Professors didn’t know how to make the right choices for them in some cases,” Depies said.

CUW is attempting to alleviate advising issues to make sure the university serves the students well in this role.

“The recent growth of our office, is a small step in the direction towards best serving our student needs. Similarly, the use of advising software, like the future use of Degree Works will afford students a more complete and direct list of credits and courses necessary for their specific degree. The addition and revamp of student success ministries like Student Success Advisory and PROSPER have shown a great level of success for those students who choose to engage,” Depies said.

Overall, Depies said the Advising Office recognizes changes to students’ needs and are committed to serving them.

“We are here to help however may be necessary. The needs and questions of our 2,500+ traditional undergraduate students are growing, and we are constantly looking for ways to increase our effectiveness.” Depies said.