The UW System Board of Regents is seeking to expand the UW-Madison Connections Program to encompass four-year universities, starting with UW-Green Bay.
The Connections program currently applies to only technical and two-year colleges. The program offers deferred enrollment at UW-Madison for select applicants who were not accepted to UW-Madison for freshman year.
The expansion of the Connections program is part of the UW System Growth Agenda, which includes nine other strategies to produce more college graduates, stimulate job growth and strengthen local communities.
One of the flaws concerning the expansion of the Connections program is that it requires only a 2.0 GPA after two years at UW-Green Bay for a guaranteed transfer to UW-Madison to finish a bachelor's degree.
It is questionable that the Board of Regents will allow candidates, who are almost suitable for admission at UW-Madison for freshman year, an opportunity to potentially slack off for two years until they begin classes at UW-Madison. Also, the minimum GPA requirement to transfer to UW-Madison is a 3.0 if the student is not already enrolled in the Connections program.
If the Connections students were already deemed not ready for initial admission to UW-Madison after high school, a 2.0 GPA does not seem like adequate preparation for a campus which will likely prove more challenging to the student.
These students should be held to higher expectations, motivating them to excel prior to transferring and allowing for a smoother transition.
More should be expected of Connections students to ensure they do transfer to UW-Madison, but also to make sure that UW System schools produce quality graduates who will be competitive in the job market.
