higher education

In his new book, The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us, education writer Paul Tough dismantles the myth of college as a pure meritocracy. Instead, he makes the case that the U.S. higher education system reinforces class and racial inequalities.

Research shows that a college degree, especially from an elite institution, increases one's chances of social mobility. But the people who could most benefit — low-income, first-generation, and black and Hispanic students — often don’t get those opportunities.

Several states have taken steps to make college more affordable by creating free-tuition "promise" programs. Each one is different, but in general, they allow students to attend community college, or sometimes public universities, for free.

Cartoons and comics mean a lot to many kids.  But for some young people, the effect is especially strong and drives them to pursue a career in animation.  From medical, architectural and science, to forensics, industrial and gaming field — there's so much more to animation than Hollywood blockbuster films.

For some young people, just heading off to college can be challenging enough, even before deciding on what course of study might carry them through their adult life. One Milwaukee area school is trying to make navigating that undecided part of the college experience a little easier.

Nineteen-year-old Lauren Buchanan is a student at Bethesda College, a specialized program for students with intellectual disabilities. It is run by the nonprofit Bethesda Lutheran Communities, located on Concordia University's campus in Mequon.

"I wanted to go to college because I wanted to meet new friends, see new people and, like, have good relationships, good friendships with people," Buchanan says.

In 2014, three major Milwaukee academic institutions were undergoing transitions to new leadership. But out of a state of flux, UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College, and Milwaukee Public Schools began an alliance aimed at improving outcomes for students.

They created a network called M-cubed, with a mission of better aligning education so that students who start at MPS will have a smoother road leading to MATC, UWM, or both.

Low-income students tend to face more barriers to higher education than their middle- and upper-class peers. Federal financial aid is supposed to help clear the way.

But part of the financial aid process, called verification, ensnares many low-income students in a confusing web of red tape.

Jesendra Tatum is one example. After graduating from Milwaukee School of Languages in 2018, Tatum planned to start college right away. She always wanted to be a veterinarian.

Low-income students in Milwaukee are less likely to graduate from high school and go onto college than their wealthier counterparts. A new program launched this school year by the city of Milwaukee hopes to bridge that gap.

Sixty percent of college graduates are women. But they’re not pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at the same rate as men. Women represent only 35 percent of undergraduate STEM degree-holders in the U.S. — Milwaukee’s Alverno College is trying to chip away at that imbalance.

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.