Fond du Lac County Executive Sam Kaufman Chimes In On UW Campus Closing In Person Classes In Fond du Lac

This morning the Universities of Wisconsin President, Jay Rothman and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Chancellor, Andrew Leavitt issued statements about the future of the UWO – Fond du Lac Campus.

As most are now aware, President Rothman has directed that Chancellor Leavitt begin the process of terminating in-person instruction at our campus by end of June 2024. Since the announcement, I have received many messages and calls in regard to this decision, including comments angered by those in our community that view this as abandonment. Concerning those who would say it is abandonment or betrayal of our agreement with the UW System, I do not share this view and instead see this as an opportunity.

When I began my term as County Executive in June 2022, I met with Chancellor Leavitt to discuss what I envisioned as the future of our campus. I shared my thoughts with the Chancellor. It was clear that there has been continued declining enrollment. I knew that the closing of two-year campuses throughout Wisconsin was inevitable.

The County and UW-O needed to be proactive in assessing the floor space necessary for the operation of the branch campus and working to create new specialized programs that better serve the needs of our communities.

Furthermore, I have shared with the Chancellor what I considered a failure of the UW System in not being proactive in restructuring the two-year campuses years ago as enrollment declined. There may have been opportunity years ago to begin the development of new programs in partnership with the existing technical colleges that meet the future needs of our communities.

In his statement today, President Rothman said, “It’s time for us to realign our branch campuses to current market realities and prepare for the future”. I am in agreement with President Rothman and understand that as the incoming President, he had inherited a system plagued by declining enrollment and politics. As President Rothman moves forward with a goal of realigning the branch campuses, I urge him to also move forward with a restructuring of the UW System as a whole, including the regionalization of the remaining four-year and branch campuses and a reduction in the size of the Board of Regents.

Over the last year, I have had the privilege of working with both Chancellor Leavitt and former Assistant Chancellor for Access Campuses, Martin Rudd. We worked closely on moving forward with my goal of re-purposing portions of our campus to create a new partnership with UWO, Fond du Lac County, and the private sector. Our new direction has included discussions with a community daycare provider to open services within a portion of the campus, entering into an agreement to allow Envision Greater Fond du Lac to use space for the creation of an entrepreneurship center for small businesses, and exploring other opportunities for use of the gymnasium.

At this time, I do not see the partnership with UWO ending, rather an ongoing discussion of specialized programs at the campus, which includes a possible new beginning that will serve as a model for the remaining branch campuses and within the goals set by President Rothman.