Dear campus colleagues,

As we continue to have our collaborative, consultative, shared governance conversations with integrity, I want us to be intentional about student access and success. We want to make sure that our students get in (recruitment), get through (persistence), get out (retention) and get a job (matriculation). We have heard about how our conversations about the budget shortfall have created unease with our students. The Cabinet and I have been working with Whitewater Student Government to clarify our messaging and to answer questions. We want to make sure students are getting the right information needed in order to offset any concerns about the budget shortfall. One of the frequently asked questions is: “How will the budget shortfall affect me?” To get to the specifics of this answer, talk to your advisor about your program of study (course schedule) for next year. Determine if the courses that you need are being offered. Check on the timing and availability of the offerings as well. We anticipate fewer sections of some courses and an increase in class size of others, but we do not anticipate that there will be undue disruptions or delays to time or degree completion. If any disruptions do occur in the Fall 2020 course schedule, we will do all we can to correct those by the spring semester.

Student access and success is extremely important to me as well as to the faculty, staff and administrators who are committed to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. We will do all we can to assure our students that despite the budget shortfall, they will have access to quality academic and student success (support) programs.

– Dr. Dwight C. Watson

  Chancellor