10-18-23 uw-oshkosh fdl campus closing

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Two more Universities of Wisconsin two-year branch campuses will close by next year and more shutdowns might be on the way as students continue to opt for four-year colleges and online classes, Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman announced Tuesday.  Rothman said during a conference call that he has decided to shutter UW-Milwaukee’s Washington County campus and UW-Oshkosh’s Fond du Lac campus. He said that in-person instruction at the two schools will end by June 2024. Enrollment at both schools as well as three other two-year campus has ticked upward this fall, but it’s not enough to offset more than a decade of decreasing enrollment.  “The market is telling us the mission of the two-year-branch campuses is not as attractive as it once was,” Rothman said.  Enrollment at UW-Milwaukee’s Washington County campus has plummeted from 1,054 students in the fall of 2020 to 285 students in the fall of 2022, according to Universities of Wisconsin data. Fewer than 350 students currently attend the school, according to its website.  UW-Oshkosh’s Fond du Lac campus, meanwhile, has seen its enrollment drop from 733 in the fall of 2020 to just 196 last fall. About 500 students currently attend the school, according to its website.