The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh announced a restructuring plan that could save up to $1.7 million in administrative costs annually as part of an effort to address a structural deficit.
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ed Martini announced the plans to UWO students, faculty and staff members in the last week. The proposal, developed by a university workgroup over the last several months, includes two new college structure models, each career-cluster oriented and each preserving UWO’s academic programs. Martini said the plans would hone UWO’s “research-enhanced” university identity and prepare for transformative technology in teaching and learning.
Details on the academic plans and proposed restructuring models are available at UWO’s Academic Planning website: https://uwosh.edu/academic-affairs/academic-planning.
“These new ways forward were imagined, built and advanced by UWO’s people,” Martini said. “Each academic model is a product of a significant analysis, input, feedback and discussion during an intensive and inclusive design and planning process led by representatives of the entire UWO community.”
“Model A” proposes a shift from three to four UWO colleges and, within, a new structure containing six new “schools.” The colleges are titled: the College of Business, Media & Communication; the “College of Culture, Society & Education;” and the “College of Nursing, Health Professions & STEM.”
“Model B” also proposes three colleges but with eight new schools. The colleges include: “College of Business, Science & Technology;” “College of Culture, Society & Education;” and the “College of Nursing & Health Professions.”
“The models are designed to meet the needs of our current and future learners and the needs of our region and state,” Martini said. “Both reflect hard choices, trade-offs, and clearly have seized an opportunity to reimagine how we organize ourselves administratively and how we deliver our academic offerings for the short term and into the future.”
Both models better align UWO’s distinctive academic units with nationally recognized career clusters already infused into Wisconsin’s K-12 school systems. Career clusters help connect academic programs to career pathways.
The UWO community will have multiple opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback through town hall meetings, open forums and other college-specific meetings in the month to come. It is anticipated that UWO faculty members will ratify and recommend one of the two restructuring models during the spring 2024 semester. The goal is to implement the restructuring plan in 2025.
Learn more: UW Oshkosh Academic Planning
