of a controversy related to an oak tree sacred to Native Americans. Eventually, after much publicity, it was decided to scrap the old plans, despite the large added expense, and build the $48.8 million building at another location. In September 2016, a free speech board on campus had "UWEC is racist" written on it and it was promptly taken down. The board sparked a discussion about racial equity and diversity on campus.
In 2018, UW-Eau Claire adopted UW-Barron College as a branch campus. The "merger" was part of a UW-System wide restructuring plan.
In September 2019, a student's residence hall door decoration was vandalized with a racial slur against Indigenous people and the words "go back to the rez."
In November 2019, five football players were suspended from the team for racist social media posts targeting the campus Black Empowerment Organization.
== Campus ==
The University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire campus sits on the banks of the Chippewa River. The campus is located in an urban setting, close to Eau …
