Over the past eight months, UW-Whitewater and other universities within the Universities of Wisconsin have been working with Deloitte to look further into university financials. 

With the reports being publicized Apr. 11, Chancellor Corey King spoke about the report during the Faculty Senate meeting on Apr. 9.

“Since last July, we have been engaged with the leadership of the campus, shared governance and others in this report providing information and having conversations,” said King. Our stance on the report as a university is we will treat the report as a tool. We have many tools on our campus that guide our conversations and our continual work and improvement.” 

In addition to UW-Whitewater, several other universities will also be receiving the report within the first wave.

Chancellor King similarly released a university-wide statement on the report, and reminded the campus community of the five major “opportunity” areas for the university that were highlighted in the report. These include improving retention by enhancing the student journey, diversifying our enrollment strategy, developing a policy-based approach to academic portfolio, leveraging Rock County to achieve UW-Whitewater’s strategic vision and creating a culture of urgency and accountability.

Alongside the announcement of the Deloitte Report, a tuition increase was approved.

“The immediate thing is that there are two spaces for us of tuition being approved,” said King. “One, of course, the structural deficit and continuing to meet the structural deficit. Number two is our commitment to compensation. The challenge with that is there’s always a caveat that we either have to meet enrollment or enrollment has to grow.”

One of the goals with the release of the report is to maintain transparency throughout the university.

“One thing I will say is Corey has been very transparent and sharing on the Deloitte Report with the leadership and shared governance, and I’m very appreciative of that,” said Faculty Senate President Kimberely Nath. “It’s been really nice to have been in the loop, and for what it is worth, nothing to me seems surprising. I would encourage everyone to read through it and not make large leaps.”

The final Faculty Senate of the academic year will take place on Apr. 23. For more information on the Faculty Senate, information can be found on the university website.  

“I am optimistic,” concluded King. “I am proud of the work that has been done and where we are.”

More information on the Deloitte Report can be found on the Universities of Wisconsin page.