{"id":12055,"date":"2022-12-15T15:46:03","date_gmt":"2022-12-15T21:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/?p=12055"},"modified":"2023-08-09T15:23:17","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T20:23:17","slug":"sentry-insurance-10-million-gift-will-propel-uw-stevens-point-business-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/2022\/12\/15\/sentry-insurance-10-million-gift-will-propel-uw-stevens-point-business-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Sentry Insurance $10 million gift will propel UW-Stevens Point business school"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UW-Stevens Point Chancellor Thomas Gibson (right) and Pete McPartland, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Sentry, announce a $10 million gift to the School of Business and Economics today (Dec. 15), the largest gift the university has received.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

A $10 million gift from the Sentry<\/a> Insurance Foundation will significantly expand opportunities for University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point business students, with an impact that will affect the entire region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The donation to the School of Business and Economics<\/a> is the largest one-time gift in Sentry Insurance Foundation\u2019s history, and the largest the university has ever received. To recognize this generous support, the school will be named Sentry School of Business and Economics. [View Announcement Photos<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis incredibly generous gift is transformative for UW-Stevens Point,\u201d said Chancellor Thomas Gibson, who announced the gift today with Pete McPartland, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Sentry. \u201cThis is an investment in the future of the university, our students and our community. It is an affirmation of the confidence Sentry has in UW-Stevens Point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sentry, long a corporate leader in Stevens Point, recognizes a strong university is paramount to developing a skilled workforce and talent pipeline for the future, McPartland said. This new initiative builds on the company\u2019s successful partnership in developing UW-Stevens Point\u2019s data analytics program. Sentry also created the Sentry IT Co-op downtown, employing UW-Stevens Point students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt Sentry, we firmly believe the presence of a strong university is critical, not only for our company but for the community,\u201d McPartland said. \u201cAs a Fortune 650 company, headquartered in a small midwestern city, we\u2019re able to thrive due in large part to UW-Stevens Point. The university is creating career-ready graduates and contributing to a community culture that allows us to recruit and retain well educated, talented employees. We\u2019re proud and honored to be a part of this bold and transformative initiative to support the School of Business and Economics.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gift will help renovate an existing building, Collins Classroom Center, to create a state-of-the-art facility to house the Sentry School of Business and Economics. When renovations are complete, it will be renamed Sentry Hall as a visible signal of the partnership between Sentry and UW-Stevens Point and the commitment to address the talent development needs of the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to updated facilities and technology, the gift will provide resources to enhance recruitment and business engagement activities. \u201cAs the Sentry School of Business and Economics, we will be able to significantly increase recruitment activities from a broader geographic area, particularly from diverse populations,\u201d said Kevin Neuman, the school\u2019s head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both UW-Stevens Point and Sentry are committed to enhancing diversity in the region\u2019s workforce through this partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sentry School of Business and Economics will provide students with a cutting-edge business education that goes beyond classroom learning. It will include an entrepreneurship center and Center for Women\u2019s Equity, Development and Leadership, serving both UW-Stevens Point students and the community. Experiential learning will occur through the Anderson Classroom to Career Center.

The School of Business and Economics has experienced significant growth in the past eight years with Sentry\u2019s support and partnership. In 2016, Sentry provided a gift of $4 million to create a major in data analytics<\/a> and endow two new faculty positions.

Also in 2016, the School of Business and Economics received accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. In 2019, a master of business administration (MBA) in applied leadership and decision making was launched at all three UW-Stevens Point campuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A stand-alone business school will raise the visibility of the program with regional businesses and will elevate the profile of the school for prospective students and partners. With the additional resources and renovated facilities, university leaders hope to double enrollment. Nearly 900 students major in one of seven business program options now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renovation work could begin in 2026. This gift will fast-track the planning and design process that involves UW-Stevens Point, UW System and state officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis gift is historic on several levels,\u201d Gibson said. \u201cIt is our largest single donation. It will create more opportunities for our students, our faculty and our region. It will propel our business school to attract more students and more innovation. This will benefit all our degree programs and departments.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About UW-Stevens Point<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founded in 1894 as a teacher\u2019s college, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is one of 13 comprehensive universities in the UW System. With campuses in Stevens Point, Marshfield and Wausau, UW-Stevens Point offers more than 120 undergraduate programs in 48 majors and 78 minors as well as 30 graduate programs. One of America\u2019s best values for purpose-driven education, UW-Stevens Point is distinctive for academic excellence, applied learning and sustainability. UW-Stevens Point offers a welcoming, supportive atmosphere focused on student success. It is consistently named among the top Public Midwestern Universities in the U.S. News and World Report\u2019s college rankings. For more, visit www.uwsp.edu<\/a>.

About Sentry and the Sentry Insurance Foundation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sentry Insurance is a part of one of the largest and most financially secure mutual insurance groups in the United States, holding a Financial Strength Rating of A+ (superior) from AM Best, current as of June 2022. See ambest.com\/ratings\/guide.pdf for rating information. Sentry and its subsidiaries sell property and casualty insurance, life insurance, annuities, and retirement programs for business and individuals throughout the country. Headquartered in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Sentry employs more than 4,300 associates across the country. See a complete list of underwriting companies at sentry.com. The Sentry Insurance Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Sentry<\/a>. Giving priorities include education, workforce development, United Way, and local organizations that work to improve the quality of life and build equitable communities where we live and work, including the Maui community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Related News<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/a>: UW-Stevens Point gets a record-setting $10 million gift from Sentry Insurance to elevate its business school’s profile<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Courtesy of University Communications and Marketing<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A $10 million gift from the Sentry Insurance Foundation will significantly expand opportunities for University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point business students, with an impact that will affect the entire region. The donation to the School of Business and Economics is the largest one-time gift in Sentry Insurance Foundation\u2019s history, and the largest the university has ever […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12056,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,601,12,13],"tags":[85,280,305,341,342,343,344],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12055"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12055"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12055\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12541,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12055\/revisions\/12541"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}