Chippewa Valley Times

When students at UW-Stout enter a classroom, lab, or residence hall, they encounter clean and orderly spaces. This is due to the efforts of 54 custodians who maintain 32 buildings and 2.24 million square feet of space.

On September 26, Custodial Services received the University Staff Excellence Program Award from the Universities of Wisconsin during the Board of Regents meeting at UW-Parkside in Kenosha.

"The custodial team is an amazing group of dedicated employees essential to upholding our mission as Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University and supporting the success of our students and our university," said Chancellor Katherine Frank.

Frank attended the meeting along with custodial leads Bob Cook, Aimee Lipke, Brad Mengeling, their respective supervisors Zenon Smolarek, Darrin Witucki, Justin Fults, Vice Chancellor Erik Guenard, Provost Glendalí Rodríguez, and Dean of Students Sandi Scott.

About 20 members of the custodial staff gathered in Merle M. Price Commons at UW-Stout to watch a livestream of the award ceremony. They celebrated with a cake.

Cook spoke on behalf of the team: "Custodians play a critical role in students feeling welcomed... While cleaning is an important part of our job, ultimately we are about creating successful students."

Scott nominated the team for the award: "Our custodial team is comprised of dedicated, hard-working and long-serving individuals who are professionals... Their work helps us live out our polytechnic mission."

This marks the second consecutive year that UW-Stout has won this program award; University Dining was honored in 2023.

UW-Stout has three times more labs and studio spaces than classrooms. This requires extra cleaning efforts. For instance, using an electric leaf blower in certain areas has proven efficient for tasks like sweeping around obstacles.

"Efficiency and productivity are critical in our custodial operations," said Brad Kupczak. "The staff members are definitely unsung heroes."

Custodians adjust to class and event schedules daily. Academic custodial work starts at 3:30 a.m., with a second shift ending at 11:30 p.m.

The custodial team supports major campus events such as Career Conference and commencements. During COVID-19, they adapted cleaning protocols and managed COVID housing efficiently.

Earlier this year, UW-Stout was named a 2024 Green Ribbon Award winner by the U.S. Department of Education. Custodial efforts contributed significantly through waste reduction efforts and other sustainability initiatives.

The award includes $7,500 for staff professional development.

###