Looking Forward
The fall semester is well underway, and we're mixing up our communication with a brief newsletter to start off the year. The Wendt Center for Character & Leadership is in the middle of big changes (for example, did you catch the name change?) and we are thrilled to share them with you!
Grants Help Us Expand Our Reach
The Educating Character Initiative out of Wake Forest awarded the Wendt Center a Institutional Impact grant totaling $355,155 over three years to expand our reach, inclusivity, and impact to more effectively implement a campus-wide culture of character.
We are also in our second year of receiving funding from NetVUE (Network of Vocation in Undergraduate Education) to continue to develop character and vocation on campus.
New Framework
We're launching a new vision and framework to help guide our work and provide clarity for everyone interested in cultivating good character.
Program Updates
Academics
As Personal Empowerment courses and Worldview Seminars make up the academic arm of the Wendt Center, you'll see more intentional infusion of character concepts in these courses that touch nearly all of our students.
Faculty and Staff: Watch for Personal Empowerment workshops, new departmental funding opportunities, and faculty workshops focused on developing and supporting character learning outcomes.
Co-Curricular Programming
Our Character Scholars program looks a little different this year. We're now following a cohort model with a curriculum grounded in our four new pursuits.
We are piloting our first year of Character Ambassadors, students who have completed three years as a Character Scholar and are ready to turn their efforts outward as character leaders on campus. Watch for events like lunch and learns.
With the Center for Vocation, Career Services, and Community Engagement, we are piloting Pathways to Purpose, a new program offers a new, coordinated way to help UD students intentionally engage with many of the opportunities available on the UD campus, through a character lens.
New Faces in the Wendt Center
Cassandra Berger, Full-time Administrative Assistant
We are thrilled to announce that Cassandra Berger is returning to UD and to the Wendt Center in a new role after some time away, but we'll let her introduce herself:
I’m excited to return to the University of Dubuque as the Wendt Center’s new Administrative Assistant. I earned my undergraduate degrees in accounting, business administration, and human resource management at UD, followed by an MBA while serving as a graduate assistant for the Wendt Center.
I played women’s lacrosse at UD, and after graduating I coached at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse for four and a half years. Later, I ran my own doggy daycare business, but as much as I loved the dogs, I realized I missed working with people—which brought me back to UD.
I’m grateful to be part of such a supportive team and look forward to connecting with the Wendt Scholars and building meaningful relationships during their time here.
Cassandra brings vibrant energy and passion for character work, and we are excited for the year ahead. Please stop by the Wendt Center sometime to meet (or reconnect) and welcome her!
Wendt Advisory Board Members
With a reorganization of the Wendt Advisory Board, we are pleased to share that Beth McCaw, Jon Barz, Franklin Yartey, and Adam Smith will continue to serve on the advisory board, with four new members joining them:
Welcome to the Wendt Advisory Board, Nathan, Shea, Stowe, and Katie! And thanks to all of you for your service and support in the effort to cultivate good character and lives of purpose!
Coming Soon!
Fall 2025 Michael Lester Wendt Character Lecture
October 6, 7:00 p.m., John & Alice Butler Hall, Heritage Center
Joshua Freedman, CEO and co-founder of Six Seconds, will share insights on leadership and purpose, and how emotional intelligence sparks meaningful change.
The event is free--no tickets required!
Other Wendt Center Events
We have exciting events coming up, including:
- Pop-Up Kindness festival for UD students and 2nd graders from the Dubuque Community School District
- Wendt open house
- Lunch & Learns for students and for faculty and staff!