HIGHER EDUCATION INITIATIVES FROM UW COLLEGES AND UW-EXTENSION

Chancellor Ray Cross discussed how Governor Scott Walker’s budget is good for UW Wisconsin.   UW Colleges and UW Extension are facing many challenges such as rising college costs, budget cuts, under-prepared students, value of higher education challenged, skills gap, changing workplace, increasing competition within education, changing demographics and needs.  Tuition for higher education has risen much faster than the consumer price index – 104% and 60% in the private/nonprofit 4 year colleges in the last 10 years.  The median income has remained fairly flat.   Why are college costs so high today?  There have been state budget cuts, declines in endowments, inflation, increased demand (13% to 70%), increased regulations and elite envy (institutional arms race).  In the early 1970’s, UW Colleges and UW Extension were about 14.42% of the state budget.  Today, they are 8.3% of the state budget and it is expected to continue to decline.    They need to find a new way to fund what they do while maintaining the quality of what they do.  What they have done are typical knee jerk reactions.  As state aid goes down, they have had to shift the cost to the student.  Chancellor Cross believes that they are at a breaking point and this can’t continue to be done.  Higher education pays in two specific quantifiable ways:  less likely to be unemployed and more likely to earn more in your lifetime. UW Colleges and UW Extension annual tuition is about $4,750 and the average financial aid package per recipient is $6,151.  About 80% of the skills gap involves two year technical skill applications.  Parents encourage kids not to go into these fields.  However, in the baccalaureate level, you can put those particular disciplines into four categories:  advanced manufacturing, information technology, healthcare and business.  The lack of college degrees within the State of Wisconsin is also a factor contributing to the skills gap:  US 38%, Wisconsin 39% and Minnesota 45.8%.  By 2025 at least 60% of our adult working population needs to have at least a two year degree.  What is the university doing about these challenges?  They are working on two initiatives:  UW Flexible Option and College Options Program.  UW Flexible Option involves on the job training, coursework or other learning experiences, massively open online courses (MOOC) and military training.  This initiative is self-paced, company based with degree progress though assessments; supported by wrap around advising/mentoring/tutoring; prior learning and experience shape educational experience; quality based on existing faculty and departments; and aimed at nontraditional returning students.  Students only pay for the assessments.  For more information go to:  www.flex.wisconsin.edu.  This is important because people make 3-5 career changes by age 38.  UW Milwaukee will offer 3 degree programs and 1 certificate program:  nursing degree, baccalaureate in diagnostic imaging, baccalaureate in information science and technology and a certificate in professional and technical communication. Within high schools, you have two types of students – seniors that are not challenged and seniors who are unprepared for college.  About 35-40% of freshman students entering college need at least one remedial course.  The College Options program brings college in the high school to reduce the cost to the students, accelerates completion time and prepares them to enter college.