By Jay Rothman

Universities of Wisconsin President

Last fall, I announced a new identity for Wisconsin’s 13 public universities — the Universities of Wisconsin. 

The goal was to shift the emphasis from our system to our universities, which create opportunities for students and improve communities all across our state. It’s been an exciting change that will take time to fully take effect but that our state is embracing. 

The new identity is only one of many changes we have been making at the Universities of Wisconsin. Over the first two years of my tenure, we have been effecting change at all of our universities, consistent with our strategic plan, to ensure Wisconsin can compete and win the War for Talent.

We set an ambitious goal to increase the number of graduates our universities produce each year from 37,000 to 41,000. To do that, we need to enroll and retain more students at a time when there are fewer high school graduates coupled with a lower percentage of them enrolling in college.

That’s why we launched Direct Admit Wisconsin, a new program that admits students capable of succeeding at our universities — before they even apply. We hope to encourage some students to think about obtaining a four-year degree who might otherwise have passed on the opportunity. Meantime, we’re also seeing promise in dual enrollment programs, so students can earn college credit while in high school. 

Enrollment initiatives have been front and center in our strategic plan, including: 

●  Reviving the Wisconsin Tuition Promise to help more low-income students attend our universities.  

●  Establishing agreements with the state’s technical colleges to smooth the transfer between the tech colleges and our four-year universities.  

●  Revamping the Wisconsin Online Collaborative, our exclusively online delivery portal, and increasing our industry-focused credentialing offerings. 

I’ve also asked our universities to address their structural deficits. While this process is resulting in difficult decisions today, including layoffs, academic and organizational restructuring, and service changes, it will ensure our universities remain vibrant for decades to come.

At the same time, we are consolidating some administrative functions, with a goal of achieving savings of up to 15 percent through 2028. These shared services in areas of human resources, technology and cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance continue to provide opportunities for expense reductions.  

University leaders are also assessing their branch campuses. Because the status quo isn’t working, we need creative solutions to address declining enrollment and underutilized facilities. 

We know that we need to couple hard choices and enrollment strategies with more investment to take advantage of the opportunities ahead of us — and to continue to improve the lives of individuals and communities. Wisconsin ranks 43rd of 50 states in public funding for higher education, according to the latest State Higher Education Executive Officers Association study of public higher education financing. The Universities of Wisconsin remain nationally and internationally respected — but a lack of adequate resources will eventually undermine our well-deserved reputation for academic excellence. We will soon ask the state to help us get up to the middle of those rankings after years of neglect. 

Finally, universities serve a critical role in our society by fostering an exchange of ideas that build knowledge. To do it best, we must repair the culture of free speech and civil dialogue on our campuses. I have committed myself personally by regularly holding private civil dialogue discussions with students on our campuses and by hosting public conversations with politicians and public figures with a range of viewpoints. This work can be especially challenging in a polarized society; yet, it is incumbent upon us to prioritize it. That is why fostering civic engagement and serving the public good are highlighted in our strategic objectives at the Universities of Wisconsin. 

So, yes, we have a new name and identity — the Universities of Wisconsin. But a closer look reveals much more change at our 13 public universities. These changes are all in service to improving lives and communities, being strong financial stewards, and helping Wisconsin succeed economically.