Chippewa Valley Times

Hundreds of UW-Stout students who live near campus may hear a friendly knock at their door on Tuesday, Sept. 3, the day before fall semester classes begin.

Faculty and staff volunteers, including Chancellor Katherine Frank, Provost Glendalí Rodríguez, and Dean of Students Sandi Scott will welcome back students living in the community as part of the university’s Knock and Talk initiative to deliver “Welcome Back” bags.

They are expected to visit about 800 students in 250 homes in the neighborhoods around campus, covering about 50 city blocks near downtown Menomonie.

Other events welcoming back students include the annual Blue Rah celebration for first-year students in the evening Sunday, Sept. 1; Backyard Bash, featuring 150 student organizations the evening of Sept. 3 on the lawn south of the Memorial Student Center; and Meet Menomonie on Wednesday, Sept. 4, the day classes begin.

“Knock and Talk is a chance for us to connect with our off-campus students, welcome them back for the year and encourage them to make safe and healthy choices, particularly about high-risk behaviors involving alcohol and controlled substances,” said Nate Kirkman, assistant dean of students who is leading the effort.

“We want to make sure that our off-campus students know that we care about them and to remind them to be involved in the Stout community and to look out for their fellow Blue Devils,” he said.

The reusable bags will include flyers for campus resources like Student Health Services, the Student Counseling Center, Stout Student Association; Menomonie service agencies like Bridge to Hope and Arbor Place. Also included will be information on safety, city ordinances, student conduct policies, voting rights, tenant rights; coupons; small gifts from local businesses.

Along with greeting the students and presenting the bags, volunteers will briefly discuss the initiative.

Kirkman isn’t aware of another Universities of Wisconsin school that offers a similar door-to-door initiative. He believes UW-Stout is unique in that its off-campus student neighborhoods are located right next to campus.

Knock and Talk has been an annual event since 2016 sponsored by multiple entities including Dean of Students office; Chancellor’s Coalition on Drugs and Alcohol; Student Counseling Center; Stout Student Association; Student Health Services; Memorial Student Center; Office of Safety and Risk Management; University Police.

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