As two- and four-year colleges across the UW System navigate a transitional year of restructuring and mergers, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Platteville are attempting to streamline tuition, courses and employment resources at their transformed universities.
Despite the different populations the universities serve, they both share concerns over the gaps between their tuition revenue and budget expenses as the four-year schools absorb regional two-year institutions.
“No plans have been made by anybody at this point to raise tuition, and we anticipate that it will stay at an exceptionally affordable rate,” said Ellyn Lem, an English professor at UWM-Waukesha.
UW-Milwaukee has plans to move some of their four-year degrees to its new satellite campuses at UWM-Waukesha and UWM-Washington County. Those schools merged with UW-Milwaukee this summer after the UW System restructured in an effort to stem falling enrollment and tight budgets at its institutions state-wide.
“[There have been] discussions about bringing some four-year degrees out to the branch campuses,” said Stephen Schmid, UWM-Waukesha regional associate dean for Academic Affairs and Campus Administrator.
From both the students and faculty, there has been “a lot of demand and a lot of desire,” according to Schmid. He said the general consensus among the community employers at both UWM-Waukesha and UWM-Washington County is that hundreds of jobs are available, yet there is a lack of qualified people living in the area. Most employers are desperate for qualified employers, according to Schmid.
At UW-Platteville, transition leaders are working to forge connections with some of their more rural satellite schools. While it serves a more urban base, UW-Platteville is attempting to establish programs at UW-Baraboo Sauk County and UW-Richland that would prepare students for employment opportunities in their more rural communities.
“[We are] looking at developing specifically applicable academic programs,” said Dennis Shields, chancellor of UW-Platteville.
With a “bigger identity and brand,” said Schmid, there is a plethora of new opportunities for students at two-year institutions to further their education.
