Conversations: The UW System's Institution of Access
Q&A with UW Colleges Chancellor William Messner

Chancellor William Messner

To quote Charles Dickens, the last decade has been the "worst of times, and the best of times" for the UW Colleges, the 13 freshman/sophomore campuses of the University of Wisconsin System. After losing 25 percent of its enrollment in the mid 1990s, the UW Colleges has grown to an unprecedented number of students while also embarking on new online courses, new collaborations with four-year UW campuses, and dramatic increases in returning adult students and students of color. UW Colleges Chancellor William Messner explains how his institution and its campuses are faring at a time of unprecedented demand from prospective students and budget cuts.

WI: What has been the history of enrollments at the UW Colleges?
WM: Historically, the campuses of the UW Colleges have had a fairly volatile history of enrollments. We have been called the UW System's "shock absorber," and this term encapsulates our enrollment history. Our enrollments have soared during periods in which student demand for access to the UW System has been strong, and we have experienced precipitous declines when demand for access to the system as a whole has waned. These swings in enrollment reflect the fact that historically we have been an institution of second choice for many students. As a result, when access is limited at other UW institutions, our enrollments prosper, and when the opposite situation is evident we have suffered.

WI: What is the current enrollment situation at the UW Colleges?
WM: For the past five years our enrollments have been on an upswing, and are currently at an all-time high. From a low of 6,000 full-time equivalency in 1997 we have increased to over 8,500 FTE in the fall of 2001. And for this coming fall it is quite possible that we will set another enrollment record as admissions and registrations are currently in the double digits ahead of last year's record pace. In part these enrollment increases reflect growing demand for access to the UW System as a whole, but to a significant extent they are the result of a carefully crafted institutional enrollment and marketing strategy. This strategy has focused on developing a mentality among prospective students that the campuses are "the best start" for a variety of individuals who want to access the resources of the UW System. In other words, we have attempted to become less of an institution of second choice, and instead the first choice for many students whose chances for academic success will be enhanced by accessing our campuses with their tradition of quality instruction, caring faculty and staff, small classes, convenience, and modest cost.

WI: What strategies are being used to manage enrollments in the future?
WM: Over the past several years, the institution has made a significant effort to diversify its student body to better reflect the communities that we serve. As a result, we have experienced significant increases in the enrollment of adult students, students of color, and high school students anxious to get a head start on their college studies. We have:

• utilized various strategies to address these populations' educational needs;
• become much more aggressive in outreach to diverse populations;
• developed collaborative degree efforts with other UW institutions for delivering baccalaureate and graduate work on our campuses; and,
• developed an online degree program for addressing the educational needs of those who cannot access our campus-based programs.

These strategies reflect the fact that we are the UW System's institution of access, and our enrollment efforts should encompass all those in our communities who can benefit from our educational services. By attracting these varied populations to our campuses, we insulate ourselves somewhat from the enrollment swings among traditional college-age populations that have historically plagued the institution.