UW-Whitewater at Rock County has been a location of higher education access in the Janesville and greater Rock County community for 60 years. Established in 1966 as UW-Rock County Center, UW-Whitewater's Rock County campus is located on nearly 50 rolling acres on Janesville's southwest side. In 1997 the college became UW-Rock County, and in 2017 it joined the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater as a second location. Over the years, the Rock County campus has: <ul> <li>Hosted many community and civic events</li> <li>Served as an active member of Forward Janesville, Beloit Chamber of Commerce, and the Milton Chamber of Commerce</li> <li>Partnered with local colleges and businesses on programming, including Blackhawk Tech</li> <li>Offered lifelong learning opportunities to the community, including College for Kids</li> <li>Co-sponsored the Business Hub, a downtown educational space established by Forward Janesville where students in the Janesville School District will attend the <a href="https://www.forwardjanesville.com/workforce-development-education/janesville-business-academy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janesville Business Academy (JBA)</a>, a district-wide capstone program that gives high school students real-world business experience by immersing them in a professional environment, connecting them with local business leaders, and engaging them in hands-on projects that prepare them for future careers</li> <li>Actively engaged with community and civic organizations and boards, including Rotary International, Janesville Innovation Center, Greater Beloit Chamber Education Committee, Mercyhealth Institutional Review Board, YWCA, and Rock University High School</li> <li>Created the <a href="https://www.uww.edu/ce/cedar-crest">ongoing speaker series hosted at Cedar Crest</a></li> </ul> In 2016, the Rock County campus received the <a href="https://www.forwardjanesville.com/membership-services/events/awards-luncheon/awards-luncheon-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Educator of the Year Award</a> from Forward Janesville. The Rock County campus is the home of the College of Integrated Studies, which supports the mission and goals of UW-Whitewater and strives to advance the Wisconsin Idea by bringing the resources of the university to the people and communities in and around Rock County. The Rock County campus’s expansion of UW-Whitewater into the region allows the campus to even more effectively respond to the needs of the community.