51����

Faculty Document No. 3586 – November 20, 2025 

Whereas Act 15 only states that the “board shall establish policies for the appropriate transfer of credits between institutions within the system, including postsecondary credits earned by a high school pupil enrolled in a course at an institution within the system under the program” (2025 Wis. Act 15 § 134); and 

Whereas the Proposed Regent Policy Document 4-X: Core General Education Requirements goes well beyond the requirements of the language in Act 15 by creating a set of standardized general education requirements, including number of credits and courses, across all UW campuses; and 

Whereas this draft program was created by UW-System administrators and consultants without meaningful consultation from faculty or consideration of well-established policies for curricular change; and 

Whereas current UW policy places the responsibility for the development and oversight of the curriculum with the faculty of the individual campuses in concert with the chancellor, according to Wis. Stat. § 36.09(3)–(4); and 

Whereas best practices dictate that the faculty have the most relevant knowledge and expertise to develop the curricula offered at their respective campuses; and 

Whereas curricular reform is a well-established process involving faculty, departments, curricular committees, and other stakeholders in a careful, deliberative process; and 

Whereas ~39% of 51���� students change majors at least once during their college career. 51����’s current General Education Breadth Requirements assist students in finding the right major, the proposed changes will limit student class choice, make it more difficult for them to graduate, and lower our retention rates; and 

Whereas 51���� has a proven system for transferring General Education credits, supporting the roughly 11% of students that transfer out of 51����, the new structure being imposed by UW-System is so inflexible that it will make transferring such credits more difficult for students in the future; and 

Whereas the accelerated timeline imposed by UW-System creates an undue burden on faculty and administrators, and prevents a full consideration of the needs and best interests of students, and will likely result in unexpected, negative consequences on student retention, faculty staffing, and other parameters crucial to the success of UW-Milwaukee; 

Be it therefore resolved that the Faculty Senate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee urges in the strongest terms that the Board of Regents amend, postpone, or reconsider entirely the proposed Regent Policy Document 4-X so that it: 

1. Focuses narrowly on the intent of Act 15 to facilitate the transfer of credits between University of Wisconsin institutions, and 

2. Preserves the longstanding practice of prioritizing institutional authority and faculty consultation in the development and approval of program curricula, including general education, and 

3. Explicitly affirms the statutory role of faculty in advising the chancellor on all academic and educational matters, consistent with Wis. Stat. § 36.09(4), and 

4. Explicitly affirms the normal timelines and procedures for curricular change on individual campuses. 

Be it further resolved that the Faculty Senate reaffirms its commitment to collaborate constructively with the Chancellor and Provost of UW Milwaukee, the UW System Administration, and the Board of Regents to develop policies that both comply with relevant law and uphold the principles of shared governance, academic freedom, and institutional autonomy that have long guided the Universities of Wisconsin in service of the best interests of students.