ERIN BARBATO, THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> IN EDUCATION NEWS, THE NUMBER
OF UW CAMPUSES GOING TO ON-LINE
CLASSES INSTEAD OF IN-PERSON
INSTRUCTION HAS RISEN TO THREE.
AT WEST BEND, FOND du LAC AND
MARINETTE.
UW RICHLAND HAS CLOSED
ALTOGETHER.
THE MARINETTE CAMPUS IS PART OF
UW GREEN BAY AND ITS CHANCELLOR,
MICHAEL ALEXANDER, SAYS THE
WRITING WAS ON THE WALL, WHAT
WITH DECLINING ENROLLMENT AND
COMPETITION FOR STUDENTS FROM
THE NEARBY NORTHEAST WISCONSIN
TECHNICAL COLLEGE.
>> THERE HAS TO BE ACCESS POINTS
TO EDUCATION.
UW GREEN BAY HAS TO HAVE A
PRESENCE IN WISCONSIN.
AND WE'RE INVESTING IN THE HIGH
SCHOOLS THERE, TO BE CLEAR.
SO WITH OUR RISING PHOENIX
PROGRAM AND EVERYTHING THAT WE
DO, OUR STUDENTS PARTICULARLY
WHO ARE INTERESTED IN COLLEGE TO
GET THEM A HEAD START ON THE
COLLEGE EXPERIENCE, TO BE ABLE
TO OFFER CLASSES WITH THE HIGH
SCHOOLS MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE BE
ABLE TO OFFER WITH A SMALLER
POPULATION IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
RIGHT?
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE
ABSOLUTELY ARE TRYING TO DO TO
HELP THAT REGION.
BECAUSE IT DOES MATTER.
RIGHT?
WE CAN'T LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND
JUST THROW OUR HANDS UP.
WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO
ACTUALLY MAKE IT BETTER AND
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO
HERE.
AND, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THE
NWTC ISSUE.
RIGHT?
WE THINK A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY
ABOUT THIS SOMETIMES, BUT I WANT
TO BE CLEAR, IF MOST OF THOSE
CLASSES, IF NOT ALL OF THOSE
CLASSES, THOSE 14 CLASSES,
THERE'S A CLASS THAT'S PRETTY
MUCH BEING IDENTICALLY TAUGHT BY
NWTC.
WHY ARE WE DUPLICATING OUR
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES THIS AN
AREA THAT IS HARDER TO SERVE
BECAUSE OF HOW SPREAD OUT IT IS
WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT
ARE THERE AND THE POPULATION?
YOU'VE GOT TO THINK DIFFERENTLY
ABOUT HOW WE ACCESS -- GIVE
ACCESS TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO WANT
IT.
>> SO WHAT DOES THE CLOSURE OF
TWO-YEAR CAMPUSES TO IN-PERSON
CLASSES ACROSS WISCONSIN MEAN
FOR ACCESS AND DEGREE ATTAINMENT
FOR STUDENTS?
WE CHECK IN WITH THE NATIONAL
NON-PARTISAN, NONPROFIT GROUP,
NDRC, AND ITS RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
IN THE AREA OF RURAL HIGHER
EDUCATION, ALYSSA RATLEDGE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO YOU HAVE WRITTEN THAT
RURAL COLLEGES MATTER.
HOW SO?
>> RURAL COLLEGES ARE OFTEN THE
ONLY ACCESS POINT TO HIGHER
EDUCATION POSTSECONDARY TRAINING
AND WORKFORCE TRAINING FOR
PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN RURAL AREAS.
MANY PEOPLE LIVING IN RURAL
AREAS ARE SIMPLY UNABLE TO MOVE
AWAY TO GO TO COLLEGE AND THEY
DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE ON-LINE
ACCESS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE UP
ON-LINE OFFERINGS.
SO THE ABILITY TO GO TO A
COLLEGE AND, AGAIN, THESE MIGHT
BE DISTANT, WE MIGHT BE
TRAVELING 25, 50, EVEN A HUNDRED
MILES TO COLLEGE, BUT IT STILL
MEANS FOLKS CAN STAY WHERE THEY
ARE METROPOLITAN WHERE THEIR
FAMILIES ARE LOCATED.
WE'RE NEAR CLOSING CAMPUSES, IT
CAN BE REALLY CHALLENGING FOR
THOSE FOLKS TO CONTINUE TO
ENGAGE OR TO ACHIEVE THE
POSTSECONDARY CREDENTIAL THAT
THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.
>> BECAUSE IN THE END, WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN THEY'RE IN
EDUCATION DESERTS?
>> EDUCATION DESERTS HAVE A
CHILLING EFFECT ON STUDENTS'
LIKELIHOOD OF GOING TO COLLEGE,
BUT ALSO IMPORTANTLY, THEY'RE
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETELY
COLLEGE.
NATIONALLY, MOST STUDENTS WHO
ARE ATTENDING COLLEGE ARE DOING
SO WITHIN ABOUT 25 MILES OF
THEIR HOMES.
IT'S NOT REALLY THESE DAYS THE
TRADITIONAL SENSE OF BEING 18
AND GOING OFF TO COLLEGE AND
LIVING ON CAMPUS.
THESE DAYS, MOST COLLEGE
STUDENTS ARE COMMUTING AND A LOT
OF THEM PARTICULARLY IN THE
TWO-YEAR SPACE ARE ATTENDING
PART-TIME, AND TODAY'S COLLEGE
STUDENT IS MUCH OLDER THAN THE
TRADITIONAL CONCEPTION.
THOSE FOLKS ARE NOT GOING TO
PICK UP AND LEAVE.
THEN HAVE FAMILIES AND JOBS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES, NOR DO THEY
WANT TO LEAVE.
OFTENTIMES WE HEAR THAT OUR
RURAL FOLKS WANT TO STAY WHERE
THEY ARE, CONTRIBUTE TO THE
LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND HAVING
WORKFORCE TRAINING OR A COLLEGE
DEGREE CAN HELP THEM DO THAT IN
A MEANINGFUL WAY IF THEY'RE ABLE
TO ACCESS IT.
>> SO THE UW GREEN BAY TWO-YEAR
BRANCH IN MARINETTE IS GOING
MOSTLY ON-LINE.
DOESN'T THAT STILL AFFORD ACCESS
TO RURAL STUDENTS?
>> THERE ARE MANY RURAL STUDENTS
FOR WHOM ON-LINE ACCESS IS GOING
TO BE ENOUGH.
AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR
STUDENTS WHO ARE COMING OUT OF
HIGH SCHOOL, HAVE GOOD ACCESS,
HAVE GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF THE
INTERNET, YES, THAT CAN BE A
GOOD OPTION FOR THEM.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE GOING TO BE A
LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE NOT GOING
TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT UP.
OFTENTIMES THAT'S OLDER FOLKS OR
PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN VERY
REMOTE AND RURAL FRINGE
LOCATIONS WHERE THEY SIMPLY
DON'T HAVE RELIABLE BROADBAND
OR, IN SOME PLACES, DON'T HAVE
INTERNET ACCESS AT ALL.
THERE ARE STILL PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY WITHOUT RELIABLE
INTERNET ACCESS AND MANY OF THE
ON-LINE COURSE OFFERINGS ARE
GOING TO REQUIRE A HIGH-SPEED
CONNECTION OR THE ABILITY TO
DOWNLOAD DOCUMENTS THAT JUST IS
OUT OF REACH FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE
LIVING REALLY OFF THE GRID.
>> SO WHAT ABOUT THE FACT THAT
FOR THE CAMPUSES THAT ARE
REALIGNING OR EVEN CLOSING, THE
PROBLEM IS REALLY LOW
ENROLLMENT, WHICH MAKES
MAINTAINING THE WHOLE KIND OF
CAMPUS INFRASTRUCTURE UNTENABLE.
DOESN'T IT MAKE SENSE TO
BASICALLY DOWNSIZE FOR THE
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM?
>> IT MAY MAKE SENSE IF THERE'S
NOT A WILLINGNESS TO INVEST IN
SUPPORTING THOSE CAMPUSES AT THE
STATE LEVEL, YES, IT CAN BE AN
UNTENABLE SITUATION WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE AND THE
BUDGETS.
THAT IS ULTIMATELY A
PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION WE HAVE
TO GRAPPLE WITH.
RIGHT?
ARE WE WILLING TO FUND PLACES
THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE SEEING
BUDGETS REALLY STRUGGLING TO
MAKE ENDS MEET GIVEN THE
REDUCTION IN STUDENTS AT THE
COST OF POTENTIALLY SOME OF
THOSE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO
STRUGGLE WITH OR BE UNABLE TO
COMPLETE A COLLEGE DEGREE, IF
THAT LOCATION IS CLOSED.
>> SO A RECENT PAPER FROM THE
FEDERAL RESERVE DISCUSSED HOW
EMPLOYMENT AND MANUFACTURING IN
THE AGRICULTURAL SECTORS HAS
DECREASED IN WISCONSIN OVER THE
PAST 10 YEARS.
WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE PEOPLE WHO
HAVEN'T UPSKILLED FOR A CHANGED
ECONOMY, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL
PARTS OF OUR STATE?
>> YEAH.
IT IS AN ENORMOUS CHALLENGE.
IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WE SEE THIS IN A LOT OF PLACES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHERE
NATURAL RESOURCES, ECONOMIES OR
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIES ARE
CHANGING AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT
IT IS HARDER THAN EVER FOR AN
AGRICULTURAL WORKERS AND FAMILY
FARMS TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS AN
ADDITIONAL TECHNOLOGICAL
COMPONENT TO MANY OF THOSE JOBS
THAT COULD BE GREATLY BENEFITED
FROM SOME ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE
TRAINING OR TECHNOLOGICAL
TRAINING.
SO LEAVING FOLKS IN THOSE AREAS
WITHOUT ACCESS TO THAT TRAINING
CAN MAKE IT REALLY DIFFICULT FOR
THEM TO COMPETE IN A CHANGING
ECONOMY.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR
THOSE FOLKS AND THOSE
COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO
STAY WHERE THEY ARE.
RIGHT?
THERE'S ALWAYS THE OPTION, OF
COURSE, TO MOVE TO A BIG CITY,
BUT THAT JUST CONTINUES TO
HOLLOW OUR RURAL TOWNS AND
COUNTIES OUT.
SO IF WE WANT TO KEEP THE
SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY IN THESE
PLACES, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT
HOW WE CAN SUPPORT FOLKS TO BE
ABLE TO AFFORD AND COMPLETELY
UP-SKILLING, WHETHER THAT'S A
TRADITIONAL COLLEGE DEGREE OR A
TRADE CERTIFICATE OR WORKFORCE
TRAINING.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE LEAVE IT THERE.