To the Editor:
As a member of the UW–Madison community, I am deeply concerned about the proposed changes to the Universities of Wisconsin’s general education requirements outlined in Regent Policy Document RPD 4-X. These changes, if implemented, would not only undermine the quality and distinctiveness of a UW–Madison education but also negatively impact students’ academic preparation, equity, and future opportunities.
General education is not just a checklist of credits; it’s the foundation of a university’s intellectual mission. At UW–Madison, our general education curriculum reflects the Wisconsin Idea: a commitment to public purpose, critical inquiry, and inclusive excellence. Requirements like Ethnic Studies, Quantitative Reasoning, and campus-specific breadth courses ensure that students graduate not only with specialized knowledge but also with the tools to engage thoughtfully in civic and professional life.
The proposed policy threatens this foundation in several ways:
- It sidelines faculty governance, violating Wisconsin law (Chapter 36), which mandates that curriculum decisions be made by faculty in consultation with campus leadership. RPD 4-X removes faculty from the process of determining learning outcomes and course requirements—decisions that should be grounded in disciplinary expertise and student needs.
- It imposes overly broad and rigid categories, such as “Wellness” and “Natural Sciences,” without regard for the diverse academic structures across campuses. This could leave transfer students unprepared for UW–Madison’s rigorous courses and create unnecessary barriers to graduation.
- It risks eliminating essential requirements, like Ethnic Studies, which equip students to navigate a pluralistic society. These are not interchangeable with generic civics courses—they are carefully designed programs that reflect our university’s values and mission.
- It creates logistical and financial burdens, especially in mandating lab courses that require significant resources and infrastructure—resources that may not be available at scale.
Students should be alarmed. These changes could dilute the value of your degree, limit your academic flexibility, and reduce the responsiveness of your education to real-world challenges. But you can act.
Here’s what you can do:
- Speak up. Write to the UW Regents, your student government representatives, and campus leadership. Let them know you oppose RPD 4-X and support faculty-led curriculum design.
- Get informed. Read the full response from the College of Letters & Science Academic Planning Council and talk to your professors about how this affects your education.
- Organize. Join or start student coalitions to advocate for shared governance and academic integrity.
- Vote. Support candidates—at every level—who defend public education and the Wisconsin Idea.
UW–Madison students deserve an education shaped by those who teach it, grounded in values that matter, and responsive to the world you’re preparing to enter. Let’s protect that together.
Sincerely,
KD Thompson
Evjue-Bascom Professor in the Humanities
Professor of Religious Studies
Director of Second Language Acquisition
UW-Madison
