This past Friday, a joint committee whose members include representatives from both the UW System and the Wisconsin Technical College System met to discuss ways in which the state might increase the number of Wisconsin residents who hold bachelor's degrees. The proposal they came up with, which the boards of regents for both systems will vote whether to accept later this week, would increase the cooperation between the two systems. In the past they have butted heads with one another and would undoubtedly tear down some of the obstacles people living in this state face when they try to earn degrees.
Many of the joint committee's recommendations would allow students to receive part of their degree at a Wisconsin Technical College, and then complete it at a UW System school. They include the technical schools creating associate of science degrees that would line up with certain bachelor's degree programs at a UW school. This would allow students to complete degree-specific requirements at a Wisconsin Technical College prior to finishing general education requirements at a UW school and developing collaborative degree programs between the two systems. The proposal also recommends contacting Wisconsin residents who came close to getting degrees and encouraging them to go back and complete school.
If the proposal is accepted, it would undoubtedly lead to an increase in the number of Wisconsin residents holding degrees. It would allow people who had doubts about their ability to gain four-year degrees to start at a technical school. It would also encourage residents, mostly from the northern part of the state, who do not have a four-year institution in their area, to start on the track toward receiving a bachelor's degree at a two-year college closer to home.
Furthermore, at a time when rising tuition costs are making it harder for some people to afford to attend UW System schools, the proposal would allow lower-income residents to start their path toward a degree at a less expensive two-year school. The cost to the state, meanwhile, would be minimal.
Some may be concerned that if the proposal is accepted, a degree from some of the more prestigious UW schools, such as Madison and Milwaukee, will somehow seem like less of an accomplishment. We do not think this will be a problem, since the academic rigors at such institutions will not be lessened to accommodate potential transfer students.
When the Wisconsin Technical College regents meet Tuesday and the UW regents meet Thursday, they should wholeheartedly embrace this proposal. It is a practical and cost-effective way to increase the number of degree-holders, and in turn skilled workers, in Wisconsin.
