Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier receives international college union association’s Legacy Leader Award
Posted: 04/03/25
The Association of College Unions International (ACUI) awarded Wisconsin Union Director and University of Wisconsin–Madison Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Mark Guthier with the Legacy Leader Award, which recognizes leaders in the college union profession who have made a meaningful campus community-building impact.
Guthier joined the Wisconsin Union team in 2001, becoming the Union’s third director during the organization’s more than century-long history. Guthier also began serving as the associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs in May 2019.
He has also served in many ACUI roles to help support the college union idea, including annual conference program team member, regional roles, and Board of Trustees president. Guthier also received ACUI’s highest honor, the Butts-Whiting Award, in 2017 for his contributions to the college union and student activities movement.
Guthier's Legacy Leader Award nomination received overwhelming support from colleagues nationwide.
“The incredible support for Mark Guthier reflects the profound influence of his work and the deep respect he has earned throughout his career,” Wisconsin Union Deputy Director Susan Dibbell said.
Before his time at the Wisconsin Union at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he worked at Indiana University for 11 years, including serving as assistant director for activities and events at Indiana Memorial Union and as an assistant professor.
Throughout his career, Guthier has advocated for the student voice in decision-making, student leadership, community building, and the transformative power of the college union experience. He has led the Union team through history-making Wisconsin Union moments, including a multi-year renovation of the almost 100-year-old building Memorial Union, the building of a new Union South, the founding of outdoor recreation center Outdoor UW, and the opening of the state-of-the-art Tong Family Marina.
"Mark Guthier is a true pillar in the college union profession," Dibbell said. "His unwavering commitment to fostering welcoming, supportive communities has left an indelible mark on the lives of students, staff, and colleagues across the country."
The Wisconsin Union, which Guthier leads, includes multiple historic spaces, such as Memorial Union, the Memorial Union Terrace, and Union South. The nonprofit, mostly self-funded organization hosts more than 1,000 events each year. It is not just a student union but a community union that welcomes all 18 and over to become members. The Wisconsin Union is also uniquely operated with a student-staff partnership model of shared governance.
Read more about Mark in this 2021 blog story on his 20th anniversary as the Wisconsin Union’s director, and learn more about the Union at union.wisc.edu.