College of Letters and Science
2101 Fourth Avenue
Stevens Point, WI 54481
Phone: 715-346-4224
Email: cols@uwsp.edu
Our Mission and Vision
Mission: The College of Letters and Science is dedicated to providing students high-impact learning experiences across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences that create thinkers, collaborators, leaders, and innovators. The college nurtures intellectual growth, personal well-being, sustainable development, and lifelong learning.
Vision: The College of Letters and Science cultivates an inclusive community empowered to thrive in a dynamic and diverse world.
Campus Map
The College of Letters and Science office is located in building 44 on the UWSP Campus Map
Quick Facts
About COLS Students
- More than 2,150 undergraduate and continuing students are currently enrolled in the College of Letters and Science.
- We awarded 323 major and minor degrees in the Fall 2022 semester. In 2020-2021, we awarded 1,060 degrees.
- In 2021, the most heavily enrolled undergraduate programs in order were: biology, psychology, and chemistry majors.
- Most students are from Wisconsin, Minnesota and other midwestern states. However, we have students currently enrolled from states as far away as Hawaii and Alaska.
- Since 2019, more than 270 students with majors or minors in the College of Letters and Science have traveled abroad and learned about other cultures as part of their undergraduate education. Biology majors and minors may study in Australia and Costa Rica. Students in our History of Psychology program travel to Europe in the summer. Majors and minors in World Languages traveled to Caen, France, Marburg, Germany, Oaxaca, Mexico, and Valladolid, Spain. Student may earn up to 15 credits while enrolled at the University of Szeged in Hungary, taking courses in history, political science, and literature offered in English. Finally, there are a variety of internships for-credit in London.
- Dean’s Distinguished Achievement Award certificates for semester honors are given to all majors in the College of Letters and Science who complete at least 12 credits in any semester with a grade point average of 3.76 or above.
About COLS Staff
- UWSP has a 1 to 20 average Faculty to Student ratio.
- COLS includes 184 full-time and part-time faculty and academic staff. There are 40 total instructional staff in the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, 44 in the School of Biology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry, 54 in the School of Humanities and Global Studies, and 45 in the School of Mathematics, Computing, Physics, and Astronomy.
- The Department of English, our largest in COLS, includes 26 instructional staff.
Distinguished Alumni
- Art Pejsa (Mathematics ’47)
- Alexa Posny (Sociology and Psychology ’74) Education consultant, previously worked for U.S. Department of Education Watch video profile
- Carlos Castillo-Chavez (Mathematics, Spanish Literature ’76) Mathematical biologist
- Tom Gustafson, Ph.D. (Biology and Chemistry ’81) Physiologist, Pharmacologist and Biotechnology Executive
- Lt. General Scott Berrier (History ’84) U.S. Army military intelligence officer. Watch video profile
- Russell Wilke, M.D., Ph.D. (Chemistry minor, B.S. Soil Science ’87) Medical Researcher, Medical School Administrator
- Corey Jaskolski (Mathematics and Physics ’00) Founder and CEO Synthetaic, AI designer
- Patrick Rothfuss (English ’00) Author of fantasy novels
- Dr. Jonathan Schiller, M.D. (Biology major, Chemistry minor ’02), Emergency Medicine and Urgent Care, Marshfield Clinic
- Jon Greendeer (Political Science ’02) Ho-Chunk Nation Heritage Preservation, executive dir. Watch video profile
- Moua Yang, Ph.D. (Biology ’11) Harvard Medical School Post-Doc Researcher
- Sierra Miller, RN. (Biology ’15), Marshfield Medical Center
1951: Warren Gard Jenkins named first dean of the College of Letters and Science
1963: Science Building opened, constructed for $2 million.
1966: Majors added in philosophy, psychology, and Spanish
1969: International Programs office opened.
COLS Historical Achievements
- 1951 – Warren Gard Jenkins named first dean of the College of Letters and Science
- 1963 – Science Building opened, constructed for $2 million.
- College offered 22 majors and employed 125 faculty, 50 who had attained Ph.D.
- 1966 – Majors added in philosophy, psychology, and Spanish
- 1969 – International Programs office opened.
- 1970 – Reorganization and existing four colleges named. S. Joseph Woodka, previous chair in Department of Political Science, named dean after Jenkins’ retirement. Albertson Learning Resources Center opened including University Library and Museum of Natural History.
- 1980 – Math professor Howard Thoyre named third COLS dean
- 1986 – History professor Justus Paul named fourth COLS dean, experienced peak enrollment of 9,555
Source: The World is Ours: A History of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point students