According to a university press release, more than 12,200 students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members responded to the mascot survey. The survey was e-mailed in late February to about 40,000 people.

The survey offered respondents three mascot options to choose from: a blue ox, a voyageur or having no mascot. Forty-six percent of the responses supported the blue ox, 42 percent opted for no mascot and 12 percent favored the voyageur as UW-Eau Claire’s first official university-sanctioned mascot.

After reviewing the survey results last week, the mascot committee recommended that the university either make the blue ox the university’s official mascot or continue with no mascot, according to the release.

Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich now has forwarded the recommendations to the UW-Eau Claire Student Senate for consideration. The Student Senate will address the mascot issue at the meeting on March 22, Student Body President Michael Umhoefer said.

According to the release, the Student Senate passed a resolution in 2008 “asking the chancellor to appoint a committee to research the mascot issue, to evaluate possible mascot options and to forward recommendations.”

The blue ox and voyageur designs were selected by the committee as finalists from the 29 entries submitted as part of the Blugold Mascot Design Contest, which was created after a 2008 survey showed support for a mascot.