Rising costs and decreasing academic preparation for college disproportionately impact students who are economically challenged \u2013 and 51ÁÔÆæ has the largest slice of this population in the UW System. Even in a time of shrinking enrollments, Chancellor Mark Mone said Thursday in his annual plenary address, the university will prevail because 51ÁÔÆæ offers solutions to the wide income disparities that exist between Wisconsin\u2019s white and underserved populations.<\/p>\n
51ÁÔÆæ is navigating the turbulence in higher education by keeping students\u2019 needs top of mind, increasing positive interactions with them and focusing on the far-reaching impact of addressing racial inequities, Mone said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMeeting the needs of Milwaukee\u2019s diverse urban community in the state\u2019s largest city and economic hub is part of 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s mission,\u201d Mone said. \u201cWe all know that as Milwaukee goes, so does the state. We have the scale that can make a difference on these problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Public universities, including 51ÁÔÆæ, are now similar to private institutions, he said, in that most of their operating budgets come from tuition. Not only are there fewer students coming out of high schools, but fewer of those are sold on going to college because they are uncertain if the cost will provide them a return on their investment.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnrollments are critical. But it\u2019s not just about the financial impact on us \u2013 it\u2019s about the lives that are changed and the support of our community through education,\u201d Mone said.<\/p>\n
We can get more youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to college and better paying jobs, Mone said, if institutions and agencies work together.<\/p>\n
Recently the UW System announced the Wisconsin Tuition Promise, a new initiative starting in fall 2023 to ensure underserved Wisconsin students can attend any UW System university without paying tuition or fees. The financial aid will be different from person to person, depending on their other financial aid sources, but the awards are expected to average $4,500 over four years.<\/p>\n
An estimated 20% of 51ÁÔÆæ students will benefit, Mone said, and the program \u201cwill be a pillar of our budget ask in the coming years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other partnerships are helping 51ÁÔÆæ open the door wider for underserved students to attend and finish college.<\/p>\n
Through these group efforts, 51ÁÔÆæ is focused on improving college attainment in the region, especially for minorities (via the Higher Education Regional Alliance), eliminating the racial achievement gap (Moon Shot for Equity), increasing the pipeline of prepared college students (M\u00b3) and diversifying hiring and procurement for the city\u2019s most vulnerable communities (Anchor Collaborative).<\/p>\n
Last year, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce partnered with 51ÁÔÆæ to help companies find diverse talent so that industry could increase their employees of color. The relationship led to a state-funded program to place 100 students from underrepresented populations in paid internships with Milwaukee-area corporations.<\/p>\n
To further help industry fill workforce needs, 51ÁÔÆæ is offering a new program for workers to earn microcredentials so they can reskill and upskill without having to complete a two- or four-year degree. And the university\u2019s role with the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute is helping to feed the demand for employees who have the skills to work with data.<\/p>\n
Partnerships have already begun to increase enrollments and resources, Mone said, noting that UW System had offered some additional resources because of the relationships 51ÁÔÆæ built in the Moon Shot program.<\/p>\n
Mone also reported good news: 51ÁÔÆæ enrollments are nearly the at the same level as the beginning of last year\u2019s fall semester. And university housing is at capacity (though continues to place students on a waitlist), which means many more students than in the last two years will be able to enjoy the vibrant experience of living and socializing on campus.<\/p>\n
51ÁÔÆæ advanced in the rankings of military-friendly campuses, named this year as fifth in the nation when it comes to educating and fostering welcoming environments for students currently or formerly in the military.<\/p>\n
The university this year celebrated the third consecutive time it earned the highest research rating from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This \u201cR1\u201d status places 51ÁÔÆæ among the world\u2019s leading institutions of research \u2013 one of only 146 institutions, out of nearly 4,000 considered, that are placed in this category.<\/p>\n
It was a banner year for fundraising too. Some of the notable donations included a $5.75 million gift from Froedtert Hospital to fund scholarships for underserved students in health care and a $3 million donation to support 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s Electa Quinney Institute for American Indian Education.<\/p>\n
To help faculty salaries keep up with that of other universities, Mone said the Board of Regents will ask the state Legislature for 4% pay increases for each of the next two years, 2024 and 2025. The board also will ask that the state fund the entire cost of the raises so that individual campuses would not have to contribute, as has occurred in the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be the largest increase in my 34 years at 51ÁÔÆæ,\u201d Mone said, \u201cand it will start moving us closer to the market.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking forward, Mone said that creating a student-centric campus is an important part of the 2030 Plan, and all faculty and staff can contribute by having positive interactions with students. The plan will help students finish their degrees quicker, provide exposure to a wider array of experiences through college realignment, and grow the 51ÁÔÆæ endowment from $262 million to closer to $500 million. Mone said money in an endowment would give the university more control than it has with state-provided funds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In his annual plenary address, the chancellor said that the university is facing a number of challenges but is uniquely positioned to help solve many of the region’s problems. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":836,"featured_media":110745,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[174],"tags":[],"section":[122,126],"display_categories":[115,116],"related-coverage":[340,335,334,327],"uwmnews-feed":[],"class_list":["post-110742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","section-campus-community","section-campus-news","display_categories-top-story-secondary","display_categories-top-story-section","related-coverage-340","related-coverage-hera","related-coverage-m-cubed","related-coverage-moon-shot"],"yoast_head":"\n