Demonstrations intensified on college campuses across the country over the last week, a sign of students’ growing discontent over their schools’ responses to the war in Gaza.
Panelists discuss decreasing funding for flagship universities at event Wednesday.
According to Agricultural and Applied Economics professor Steve Deller, the funding from the state that goes to support public higher education has been declining for about 30 years and the Universities of Wisconsin have been needing to make up for those financial resources.
Across the country, state lawmakers are cutting funding to their most prominent public universities.
That dwindling support for higher education was the subject of a panel at UW-Madison earlier this evening – and the School of Education’s Dr. Taylor Odlewas one of the panelists.
The Universities of Wisconsin will vacate a former two-year college in Richland County this summer, despite months of discussions with local officials who once hoped to save the former two-year college. County leaders say they’re now facing a potential “economic crisis.”
While public perceptions of the value of going to college have diminished in recent years, experts argue the lifelong earning potential for someone with a bachelor’s degree is worth the investment.
That was the message Wednesday from a forum about the future of flagship universities held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While ideological battles over diversity programs, curriculum and funding continue, universities must forcefully advocate for their value to society, the panelists said.
Universities of Wisconsin officials announced Tuesday that UW-Platteville will vacate its Richland County campus on July 1, an unexpected move that local officials say creates a “potential economic crisis” for the county.
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s top official has taken the first steps toward removing a faculty member who was earlier fired from his job as chancellor over his fledgling porn career.
University of Wisconsin regents agreed in December to shift at least 43 diversity positions to focus on “student success” and eliminate statements supporting diversity on student applications. The actions were part of a deal with lawmakers to release funding for pay raises and campus construction projects.
More students who commit to teaching in the state after graduation will receive free tuition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison thanks to a program extension announced this week.
Outside reports released earlier this month showed warning signs for the financial viability of the University of Wisconsin System’s universities and signaled future cuts to the state’s public campuses.
A similar bill barring mandatory DEI statements in higher education passed Wisconsin’s Republican-led legislature but got vetoed by the Democratic governor.
The teams from UW-Madison, UW-River Falls, and UW-Platteville presented their projects to a panel of judges.
The Sauk County Board of Supervisors voted last week to provide a financial boost to the University of Wisconsin- Platteville Baraboo Sauk County, the smallest campus in the Universities of Wisconsin system.
Amid quickly intensifying rain and ongoing citations for a previous protest, two dozen protesters, mostly University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students, picketed outside the UWM chancellor’s residence in Shorewood on Thursday, April 18.
When in-state undergraduates start classes this fall, they’ll pay more to attend the Universities of Wisconsin. That extra money will go toward rising health care costs and pay increases for university employees and financial aid for students, among other things.
In a speech touting the value of higher education to northwest Wisconsin delegates visiting the state Capitol for Superior Days, University of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman singled out the system’s Superior campus for particular praise. But his talk came amid a third-party analysis showing financial deficits at 10 of Wisconsin’s public universities, including the Superior campus. Rothman’s speech, along with a review of the financial report, are highlighted.
The Sauk County Board has approved $390,000 in funding for UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County in each of the next two years in an effort to keep the campus open amid the closings of several other branch campuses in the Universities of Wisconsin system.
A recent financial study shows several schools within the Universities of Wisconsin are in financial trouble.”For a long time, the legislature has underfunded public higher education, and that has led to the Universities of Wisconsin to have a financial strain,” said Sen. Kelda Roys (D).
Evers sued GOP lawmakers in October over decisions to withhold pay raises for University of Wisconsin System employees and to block conservation projects, arguing such actions made by legislative committees rather than the full Legislature violate the state Constitution’s separation of powers requirements.
The Chronicle is tracking higher ed’s dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. As colleges make changes in response to anti-DEI legislation and mounting political pressure, an inconsistent and confusing landscape has emerged. This resource aims to document the changes and help readers better understand how the campaign against DEI has actually reshaped campuses.
University of Wisconsin schools are facing challenging financial futures without major changes, according to recent campus financial reports.
Several factors have led to campuses’ financial difficulties including declining state support on an inflation-adjusted basis over the last decade, the impacts of the decade-long tuition freeze that ended in 2022, declining enrollment and inflation.
Gov. Tony Evers announced a push Friday calling on the Legislature to approve more funding for the Universities of Wisconsin.
Evers called it the largest increase in state support for the university system in more than two decades.
Top graduate schools in Wisconsin landed on the latest U.S. News & World Report list ranking more than 2,000 programs across the country. U.S. News & World Report published its 2024-’25 report in April, ranking graduate programs in business, education, law and nursing, among other fields.
University of Wisconsin-Madison’s the School of Education tied for first overall with Teacher’s College, Columbia University, according the report. That’s up from third overall and second among public universities last year.
Gov. Tony Evers is calling on the GOP-led Legislature to increase funding for the Universities of Wisconsin after the system’s leaders released a slate of third-party financial audits that showed half of its schools are in financial trouble.
In a dramatic bid to keep the campus open and preserve a key driver of the local economy, the Sauk County Board plans to vote next week on a proposal to cover maintenance costs at UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County.
A Music Hall restoration, a mandate to have UW System employees complete a module to address “ideological bias” in unconscious bias training and more were taken out of the Dec. 13 deal.
A newly released third-party analysis raises concerns about the financial future of multiple state universities.
Newly released reports raise questions about the financial viability of Wisconsin’s public universities and signal additional cuts coming to some campuses in future years.
Madison Area Technical College will collaborate with employers of in-demand industries to provide training, associate degrees and pay boosts for workers with Wisconsin Fast Forward Grants.
Amid rising college costs, University of Wisconsin-Madison economists see lifelong value in a bachelor’s degree.
An analysis by the University of Wisconsin’s Student Success Through Applied Research Lab found in 2020 that the largest group of borrowers — 23% of those with student debt — owed between $20,000 and $40,000, and 21% owed between $10,000 and $20,000.
The University of Wisconsin System is becoming more family friendly.
Employees will receive six weeks of paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child under a new policy bringing UW campuses in line with many other universities across the country. The policy takes effect July 1.
The Board of Regents has increased the base salaries for the Universities of Wisconsin president and chancellors.
Biden formally announced the plans in Madison, home to the flagship campus of the Universities of Wisconsin, as well as Madison Area Technical College and Edgewood College. The trip is Biden’s third to the state this year and sixth since February 2023 as he campaigns for a second term.
Biden will make the announcement on Monday in Madison, the state’s liberal capital and home of the University of Wisconsin’s flagship campus. The president is scheduled to speak at a nearby technical college.
That was Midelfort last month, while standing in line to attend a fundraiser in Madison featuring Vice President Kamala Harris. Now the president is heading to Madison, a college town home to the University of Wisconsin. Political columnist John Nichols says the campaign visits are a big change from 20 years ago.
It’s no coincidence Biden chose Madison to deliver his remarks on student loan debt relief. Not only is it the county seat of Dane County, one of the bluest enclaves of the state, it is also the state capital and home of the University of Wisconsin with its student body population of 50,600 students.
Walking outside the Callahan Family Student Success and Learning Commons, new University of Wisconsin-Parkside Chancellor Lynn Akey waved to students as they passed.
The UW-Oshkosh Faculty Senate released results of the no-confidence vote Friday, which had an 81% participation rate. Out of all 281 faculty members, 58%, or 164 faculty members, indicated they had no confidence in Leavitt’s leadership. Approximately 23% of faculty, or 65 people, voted in favor of Leavitt’s leadership. The remaining 18.5% did not vote.
Northland College’s last-minute bid to stay open by raising $12 million in less than a month didn’t work: The board of trustees announced late Thursday that the school had raised just $1.5 million.
“(With the old website) you find out about the Board of Regents, you may find out a little bit about me, but you don’t find out how you apply to a school or what schools are available to you,” UW system President Jay Rothman said. “The best analogy I’ve figured out is that … when you go to a bank’s website, you don’t find out about the board of directors, you find out how to open a checking account. And that’s the same kind of consumer-friendly focus that we want to have for our students.”
Nearly three-quarters of the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh do not approve of Chancellor Andrew Leavitt’s job performance.
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh faculty voted no-confidence in their chancellor, sending a symbolic message of disapproval during a difficult budget year.
UW System President Jay Rothman first announced the increase proposal in a March 28 press release.“Our universities are facing challenging economic realities, and students and parents should know that we plan to be good financial stewards,” Rothman said. “Maintaining our affordability advantage, especially compared to our peers, is a priority.”
On its website, the bar association says the program is for University of Wisconsin and Marquette University law school students “with backgrounds that have been historically excluded from the legal field.” But the lawsuit alleged that is a new focus and that the program has historically been touted as a way to increase racial diversity among attorneys at law firms, private companies and in government.
UW system President Jay Rothman proposed the 3.75% increase last week, and the Board of Regents unanimously approved the hike Thursday at a meeting at UW-Platteville. No one spoke in opposition to the increase during the meeting.
The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents on Thursday approved tuition increases that average 3.75% for the system’s 13 universities, about $387 more per year. With annual tuition and segregated fees factored in, the increase amounts to 4.4% for 2024-25, the university said.
The base tuition rate for resident undergraduates will increase by 3.75 percent. This is the second increase in two years since a tuition freeze was lifted. Tuition increased by an average of 5 percent for this school year.
The UW Board of Regents on Thursday handed out raises to all University of Wisconsin chancellors, bringing leaders in line with 6% salary increases taking effect for all UW employees.
Freshman applicants to University of Wisconsin System schools can forgo standardized tests for another two years under a policy extension expected to be approved by the UW Board of Regents on Friday.
University of Wisconsin’s Board of Regents will meet Thursday at UW-Platteville, and through Zoom. On the table are a number of controversial topics including a four percent tuition increase, paid parental leave, and whether University land can be sold.
Current policy lacks parental leave, new proposal offers six weeks.
Most UW System employees will receive six weeks of paid family leave beginning in July following an advocacy campaign from campus unions and department chairs.
This year, the U.S. Department of Education revised their Free Application for Federal Student Aid – or FAFSA. They say that the new application is more user friendly and could broaden eligibility for federal aid by more than 600,000 students.
Concordia University Wisconsin will lay off 24 employees at its Mequon campus, according to a federal WARN Notice filed with the state Department of Workforce Development.
Up to 20% of students applying for federal financial aid may have to wait even longer to be awarded financial assistance, forcing many to hold off deciding where to attend college next year until they know which schools they can afford.
The new policies give eligible employees six weeks of paid time off following the birth or adoption of a child. The change comes after UW-Madison faculty and staff lobbied administrators to implement such a policy.
“I’m really happy that we’re in a position to be able to announce this,” Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin told faculty at a meeting Monday. “This has been something I’ve wanted to bring to conclusion, and there’s been interest in this for a very long time.”
UW-Madison and the Universities of Wisconsin are each proposing a paid parental leave policy granting six weeks of leave for the birth or adoption of a child, following more than a decade of studying its feasibility and increasing pressure from faculty and staff.
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said Monday that adding paid parental leave allows the university to stay competitive in recruiting graduate students and employees, and catch up to other local private businesses and governmental agencies that already offer it.
Under their proposals, eligible employees would have six weeks of paid leave available to them within a 12-month period for the birth or adoption of a child. The UW Board of Regents will review the policies at its meeting this week.
