Katie Popp

UW-Whitewater Chancellor Corey A. King speaks to campus staff about 2022-23 accomplishments as well as budget plans for the 2023-24 academic year, during the Chancellor Welcome Address held in Young Auditorium on Aug. 29, 2023.

“Anticipation and excitement are pumping through my now purple veins,” said Chancellor Corey A. King during the fall 2023 welcome address. 

With the start of the new academic year, King’s welcome address announced the growth of enrollment and upcoming staff raises, as well as on-going improvements on campus. 

“I am pleased and excited to share that our enrollment numbers are up across the board and are strong,” said King. “We are hitting or exceeding the benchmarks used to establish the 2023-2024 budget, and indicate a larger student population for both our Whitewater and Rock County campuses.”

From last year, student enrollment has increased by three percent, and student retention by four percent. 

As a result, UW-Whitewater’s three million dollar salary savings are protected, “due to current and anticipated vacancies,” said King. 

However, a structural deficit will continue as the state legislature cut public university budget allocations by $32 million, roughly $680,000 per university. 

“We must eliminate our annual structural deficit,” said King. “I am committed with the cabinet, governance leaders, and all of you that we will do that within five years.”

King’s ultimate goal within those five years is to raise enrollment to 13,ooo students and retention to 82 percent. 

Other good news that the chancellor shared was that the state approved pay increases in the current biennium, and new committees are in place to “develop new pathways to address this much needed compensation on our campus.”

The budget of three million for the renovations of Winther and Heide halls was also approved by the state. 

With King’s five-year plan in mind, Zach Mercurio, author of The Invisible Leader, and keynote speaker of the importance of creating a sense of “mattering” in the workplace, said Whitewater is working constantly at the center of mattering in higher education.

“You are the only university I know of that is taking this on,” said Mercurio. “To make sure everyone knows they hold value, and are valued.”