THINK ABOUT US KIDS LOSING
ACCESS TO EDUCATION CLOSE TO
HOME.
>> MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE
ALSO SPEAKING OUT ON THE
DECISION TO CLOSE UW-PLATTEVILLE
RICHLAND TO IN-PERSON CLASSES
INCLUDING THE CHAIR OF THE
EDUCATION COMMITTEE ON THE
RICHLAND COUNTY BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS.
A LONG TIME ADMINISTRATOR AND
LECTURER ON THE CAMPUS AND LINDA
GENTES JOINS US NOW.
WHEN YOU LEARN THAT THEY WILL
CLOSE TO IN-PERSON CLASSES AFTER
THE SPRING SEMESTER, WHAT WAS
YOUR REACTION?
>> WELL, I WAS SURPRISED SINCE
THEY TOLD US A COUPLE WEEKS
AHEAD THAT EVERYTHING WAS GOING
TO GO AS NORMAL AND WE HAD BEEN
ASKING FOR A LOT OF CHANGES, AND
THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT
THEY WERE PLANNING TO NOT HAVE
IN-PERSON CLASSES AT THE CAMPUS.
AND THEN ABOUT TEN MINUTES
BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME
OUT, A CALL CAME TO THE CHAIR OF
OUR COUNTY BOARD AND HE CALLED
ME IMMEDIATELY AND I GUESS WE
WERE BOTH JUST -- FOUND IT
UNBELIEVABLE AT THAT MOMENT.
>> BECAUSE HOW IMPORTANT IS THE
COLLEGE TO THE COMMUNITY THERE?
>> WELL, THIS CAMPUS IS
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE
CAMPUS.
IT -- AS PART OF THE COLLEGES,
WE WERE COLLECTIVELY THE THIRD
LARGEST -- THE UW COLLEGES WE
WERE THE THIRD LARGEST IN THE
SYSTEM AND OUR MISSION WAS
AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY.
AND OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE AT
RICHLAND IS WE HAD THE LOWEST
COST PER STUDENT INDEX OF ANY
CAMPUS IN THERE.
NOW THAT CHANGED OVER THE YEARS,
BUT OUR COMMUNITY HAS HONORED
THE CONTRACT FOR MANY YEARS.
WE HAVE 134 ACRES.
WE HAVE SEVEN BUILDINGS.
WE HAVE THE CAMPUS IS PROBABLY
WORTH AT LEAST $38 MILLION.
THE FINANCIAL IMPACT BACK TO OUR
COUNTY, WE HAD TWO IMPACT
STUDIES AND ONE IN 2018 AND --
2019 AND 1 IN 2005-2006.
IT MAY NOT BE BIG NUMBERS FOR
SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT
AREAS, IT WOULD BE AROUND $7
MILLION AND $6 MILLION BACK INTO
OUR COUNTY.
FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT OUR COUNTY
PUTS INTO THE CAMPUS WE RECEIVE
$205 BACK.
NOW, IN ADDITION, JUST RECENTLY
I JUST QUICKLY MADE A LIST OF
ALL THE PROFESSIONALS IN TOWN
WHO HAD STARTED THEIR EDUCATION
HERE AND CAME UP WITH OVER 200
NAMES WITHOUT EVEN TRYING TO ASK
ANYBODY.
AND OUR TEACHERS, OUR LAWYERS,
WE HAVE PHYSICIANS, ATTORNEYS,
NURSES, THEY'VE ALL BEEN ABLE TO
START THEIR EDUCATION HERE IN
THE COMMUNITY AND THEN GO ON AND
THEN BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND IT
WAS AFFORDABLE FOR THEM TO BE
ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO WE FEEL THIS IS A GREAT LOSS.
IT IS OUR FUTURE, WE'RE LOSING
OUR FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND
OUR FUTURE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
>> SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS SPOKE
TO THE STRAIGHT LINE THAT THEY
SAW AND ALSO STAFF TO LOSS OF
ENROLLMENT.
WHAT HAPPENED TO UW-RICHLAND
ONCE THE SYSTEM STARTED ITS
COST-SAVING MEASURES AND
RESTRUCTURING TO MAKE IT A
SATELLITE OF PLATTEVILLE?
>> OKAY.
MANY THINGS HAPPENED HERE.
A BRIEF EXPLANATION -- I'LL GIVE
YOU A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THAT.
SEVEN YEARS AGO, WE HAD A
MILLION DOLLARS IF REVENUE FOR
THE CAMPUS.
WE HAD 500 STUDENTS.
WE HAD 50 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
HERE.
WE WERE A THRIVING, INCLUSIVE
EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.
WHEN REGIONALIZATION AND
UW-PLATTEVILLE HAPPENED WE LOST
55% OF OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FROM THE UW SYSTEM AND THEN
THROUGH PLATTEVILLE WE LOST A
DEAN'S POSITION, A RECRUITER, 11
OUT OF 18 FACULTY MEMBERS,
STUDENT SERVICES STAFF,
INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR AND
CONTINUING EDUCATION DIRECTOR.
AND IN ADDITION, THERE WAS NO
MARKETING PLAN NOR ANY STRATEGIC
PLAN AND YOUTH OPTIONS AND
ACADEMIC ALLIANCE PROGRAMS WERE
ENDED.
THE CAMPUS WAS ACTUALLY TOLD IT
WAS NO LONGER A SEPARATE ENTITY
AND THAT WE WERE -- WE DIDN'T
HAVE OUR OWN CAMPUS CULTURE.
WE TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO THEM HOW
IT WORKED IN THAT WAY WITH OUR
COMMUNITY.
AND OUR ACTIVE GOVERNANCE WAS
LOST AND RECRUITING WAS STOPPED
EVEN THOUGH OUR FOUNDATION
OFFERED TO HIRE A RECRUITER.
AND WE HAD STUDENTS WISHING TO
APPLY FROM AROUND THE STATE AND
ALL OUR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
WISHING TO APPLY AND THEY WERE
DEFLECTED FROM APPLYING AT THE
ADMISSIONS OFFICE AT
UW-PLATTEVILLE.
SO THERE WAS NO AUTONOMY AT
RICHLAND AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT
HAS CAUSED THE DEMISE OF OUR
WONDERFUL CAMPUS.
>> I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT FROM
YOU, SOMEONE SO INVOLVED AS A
SUPERVISOR ON YOUR COUNTY BOARD
THERE IN RICHLAND COUNTY.
WE KNOW THAT THE UW SYSTEM
PRESIDENT HAS ASKED THE
PLATTEVILLE CHANCELLOR TO COME
UP WITH A PLAN AS TO A WAY
FORWARD WITHOUT IN-PERSON
CLASSES THERE BY MID-JANUARY.
BUT LINDA GENTES, WE NEED TO
LEAVE IT THERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND GOOD
LUCK.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN VISIT