UW ending classes at campuses in Washington County and Fond du Lac

Two more University of Wisconsin system campuses will end in-person instruction by the end of this school year, potentially spelling the end of existence for UW-Milwaukee at Washington County and UW-Oshkosh Fond du Lac.

UW President Jay Rothman also announced Tuesday the official closure of UW-Platteville Richland, a campus that received a similar announcement about the end of face-to-face classes less than a year ago. UW officials insisted last fall the campus wasn't closing and UW would maintain a presence there but the Richland community largely interpreted the decision as shutting the school's doors for good.

“It’s time for us to realign our branch campuses to current market realities and prepare for the future," Rothman said in a statement. “The status quo is not sustainable."

Cost savings are not driving the decision, he said. Rather, it's students' choices to pursue online programming or a four-year university.

"I think that's the market just telling us that the mission of the two-year branch campuses is not as attractive to prospective students as it once was," he told reporters Tuesday.

The UW system includes 13 four-year universities where students earn bachelor's degrees. It also had 13 smaller "branch campuses," which for decades served as a stepping stone for lower-income students to enroll at a lower tuition rate and transfer later on to a four-year school.

Tuesday's news comes amid turmoil for the UW system as a whole. Ten of the 13 universities are projected to run deficits this school year.

UW-Oshkosh, facing an $18 million budget shortfall, is making the most dramatic changes. With 140 people receiving layoff notices Monday and another 110 positions dissolved due to retirements or vacancies, the university will eliminate about one-sixth of its workforce.

UWM at Washington County, which is in West Bend, and UW-Oshkosh Fond du Lac will join the ranks of two other campuses within the UW system that are no longer operating. UW-Platteville Richland ended in-person instruction at the end of the spring semester with less than 60 students enrolled. UW-Medford, a two-year campus in northern Wisconsin, shuttered in 1980 when just 90 students were enrolled.

"Our universities are undergoing some trying times," Rothman told reporters Tuesday. "We are facing several challenges and the employees of universities of Wisconsin are being impacted. Whether it's layoffs and furloughs, changes at our branch campuses...or uncertainty over their wages, I recognize that it is an extraordinarily difficult time for our employees."

Enrollment numbers present grim picture for UW-Milwaukee at Washington County and UW-Oshkosh Fond du Lac

What stands out with Tuesday's decisions to close the West Bend and Fond du Lac campuses: Enrollment is nowhere near Richland or Medford. UWM at Washington County reported 276 students enrolled this fall and UW-Oshkosh Fond du Lac had 243.

Still, both campuses have endured precipitous declines over the past decade.

Another noteworthy aspect to the decisions: Two other campuses have lower enrollment. UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk City has 209 students and UW-Green Bay Marinette has 206.

Asked why these particular campuses were chosen, Rothman said Fond du Lac's close proximity to UW-Oshkosh, about 15 miles away, made it appropriate to end in-person instruction there.

UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt declined an interview request.

For Washington County, Rothman pointed to a county task force that called for one campus operated by the local technical college, not UW.

"The conclusion (was) the continued presence of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee at Washington County was not in the best interests of the county moving forward, and that their needs for education could be dealt with through other means," Rothman said.

UWM didn't have a vote on the task force. The university's own work group called for fully integrating the campus with UWM over the next several years.

UWM Chancellor Mark Mone declined an interview request Tuesday. A university website described the end of in-person instruction at Washington County as a "campus closure."

Rothman said conversations will continue about maintaining a presence in West Bend. He floated the idea of a "navigation center" where prospective students can get guidance on applying to college.

What will come of the 10 remaining branch campuses?

Nearly all of the other branch campuses have struggled to fill seats. A 2018 merger placing them under the oversight of four-year schools was intended to keep the campuses open but has done little to stem the tide.

Rising costs, repeated budget cuts, a tuition freeze in place for more than a decade and the pandemic haven't helped either.

Keeping the 10 remaining branch campuses open "is an option that will be determined by community needs and the ability of (UW) to meet those needs," a UW system news release said.

Rothman told chancellors to discuss options with local government leaders. Some options may include offering four-year and graduate degree options, upskilling and reskilling opportunities for the existing workforce, expanding dual enrollment, or navigation centers.

The goal is to have a plan for each campus by early spring 2024, he said.

Local, state leaders react to Washington County, Fond du Lac campus changes

Closing a campus is a heart-wrenching decision with ripple effects across the community in which it serves.

For branch campuses, both the state and county have a financial stake. The state pays the salaries of faculty and staff while the counties own the campuses' buildings and land.

The arranged marriage can get messy. In Richland County, some county board members accused UW System of failing to uphold their end of the bargain.

Fond du Lac County executive Sam Kaufman said his county's relationship with UW wouldn't be a Richland Center repeat. He envisions the campus repurposing with UW maintaining some presence, at least for a while.

Given enrollment trends, the decision to end in-person degree programs was "long overdue," he said. It frees up space for Fond du Lac County to explore other ideas, such as a day care center or more space for government workers.

Kaufman put the blame on the UW System from 10 to 15 years ago for not anticipating enrollment declines.

"This is the perfect opportunity to restructure the UW System as a whole," he said. "I'd revamp the Board of Regents, too. Eighteen members is too many. Too much power held in one tower in Madison."

Calling himself a "realist," Fond du Lac City Manager Joseph Moore said he understood the decision. Even so, the news was disappointing.

"You certainly feel a sense of a loss when it’s no longer going to be a part of the community in the way it has been," he said.

Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at@KellyMeyerhofer.