Chippewa Valley Times

Dana Fritz, Assistant Director of Housing at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, has been recognized for her contributions to student housing. She was awarded the Outstanding Mid-Level Professional Award by the Upper Midwest Region of the Association of College and University Housing Officers at their annual conference in Springfield, Missouri.

Fritz has dedicated over 15 years to UW-Stout. Her nomination came from Adam Ludwig, Director of Housing, who stated, "Dana is the backbone of our administration operations." Fritz's role involves coordinating housing assignments and communications with students and families.

In 2015, Fritz transitioned from hall director to operations coordinator during a departmental restructuring. This shift involved moving from a model with 11 hall directors to one managed by five residence life coordinators. Ludwig praised her for ensuring a smooth transition through her "creativity, student-focused approach, and operational acumen."

As Assistant Director for Administrative Operations, Fritz emphasizes equity within the housing team. She initiated centralizing desk operations and creating a new student operations manager position to allow staff more focus on students' mental health needs. "Dana empowers students by finding creative ways to give them meaningful roles," Ludwig remarked.

The pandemic presented challenges that Fritz addressed effectively. She organized an efficient move-out process and coordinated temporary housing for those without alternatives. Her work included developing a summer cleaning plan and revamping the move-in process to comply with COVID-19 guidelines. Ludwig noted that her "innovative week-long move-in strategy remains in place today due to its high satisfaction ratings."

The Upper Midwest Region covers eight states in the U.S. as well as Manitoba, Canada.