higher education

Wisconsin’s higher education system is going through a quiet but major change. Beginning this school year, the state’s 13 two-year colleges are now branch campuses of four-year universities. The restructuring is an effort to keep the colleges’ doors open despite declining enrollment and revenue.

Marquette University, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Northwestern Mutual are partnering to create the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute, a $35-40 million initiative.

The collaboration aims to help Milwaukee to become "a national hub for technology, research, business, and talent development."

Northwestern Mutual will provide classroom space in its Cream City Labs, an new innovation lab that is currently under construction. The lab will be housed within the company's downtown Milwaukee campus.

Updated Thursday, Nov. 9: 
The UW Board of Regents approved a plan at its monthly meeting Thursday that would merge the systems two-year schools with its four-year campuses.  The Regents approved the proposal on a voice vote -- with Tony Evers and Janice Mueller dissenting.

The proposal, crafted by UW System president Ray Cross, will impact the UW Colleges, four-year institutions and the UW-Extension -- but not Wisconsin's Technical College System, which is a separate entity.

Original post: October 11, 2017  

It’s back to school time and many kids are making transitions: perhaps entering kindergarten, middle or high school, or maybe a new district. But one of the biggest changes comes in that fall when a son or daughter heads off to be a college freshman.

Lake Effect contributor Jessie Garcia has been documenting two families from Shorewood for the past four months. Each was getting ready to launch their eldest away from the nest for the first time, and Garcia introduces us to their stories in this feature.

As technology develops, the “world of work” is trying to keep up. And one unlikely hero has been quietly working to fill that gap: technical colleges.

As a state that once was a leader in manufacturing and factory jobs, Wisconsin has experienced the rapid pace of economic change firsthand. Like many other job markets, Wisconsin now faces a skills gap.

And tech colleges, traditionally known and created to train for careers in the blue-collar trades, have made moves over the past several years to expand their role, creating programs for newer, middle-skill positions.

As Wisconsin's legislature struggles to finish its biennial budget, the UW Board of Regents has already approved its financial blueprint for the upcoming year.

The topic of leadership comes up a lot when we talk about education.

What makes a good school leader? What qualities should he or she possess, in order to take charge of staff, students, alumni, and a greater school community?

This is something the folks at Milwaukee’s Mount Mary University have thought a lot about in the past year. That’s because the Catholic, all-women’s school has been deep in the search process for a new university president.

The last time we heard from Sara Goldrick-Rab, her business cards read "professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison."

This time around, she has a different title.

The school year was about to begin a few weeks ago, then it abruptly ended for scores of students at ITT Technical Institute. The for-profit college system announced it was closing its campuses nation-wide, including two in Wisconsin, after numerous states accused ITT of fraud.

Applying to college can be a daunting process.

Applications, essays and financial aid forms add up to plenty of paperwork. And then, there’s the wait. All told, it can take several months – and plenty of stress – before a student finds out if they’ve been accepted.

Tens of thousands of graduates are either entering the workforce or searching for their place in it.

And if you're a new grad looking for a job, these may be some of the best words you'll hear this spring:

"There will be an increase that pretty much brings us back to the levels of employment for recent grads that occurred before the recession."

That's Jean Salzer, director of UWM's Career Planning & Resource Center. She’s talking about predictions from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

It’s graduation season, which also means it’s the season of commencement speeches. A time when celebrities take the stage, armed with jokes and wisdom for millions of young people entering the workforce.

Alverno Presents has made a lasting mark on Milwaukee’s performing arts scene. For 57 years, the presenting organization has worked out of the Alverno College campus to bring innovative modern dance companies, world class jazz, and world music to Milwaukee audiences.