Dear Colleagues,
Today, the Universities of Wisconsin released the university financial assessments for five universities, including UWM. The assessments, conducted by Deloitte as part of the UWs strategic plan, contain key data to help campuses address structural deficits, both by reducing expenses and generating revenues.
These assessments can help guide universities through making difficult decisions and recognizing opportunities to improve retention and leverage their core strengths. UWs’ ultimate goal is to ensure long-term sustainability while providing the education students deserve and families expect across Wisconsin.
While UWM’s financial assessment is sobering due to declining enrollment and constrained state funding, it reinforces what we already know to be true: By taking decisive and strategic action, we can continue to create a stronger, more resilient university capable of weathering societal and demographic changes. And in doing so, we will be better positioned to continue to positively impact the lives of our students and the lives of all those impacted by our research.
Recommendations from the third-party consultant include expanding academic accountability and examining our academic portfolio, teaching and research workloads, and budget practices.
We have worked hard over the last several years to eliminate our structural deficit and plan to do so by the end of Fiscal Year 2025. We’ve already taken difficult actions, which include closing both branch campuses and the College of General Studies. At the same time, UWM is sharpening its focus on enrollment growth and retention with efforts across campus, including funding another year of the Milwaukee Tuition Promise and Direct Admit programs.
Our work continues, and we are well on our way to a stronger and more resilient future for UWM.
As you can see from the report, the third-party financial consultant reviewed UWM’s 2030 Action Plan and has affirmed our directions and opportunity areas. This is also reflected in our new budget model changes shared with the campus community last month.
As we know, the university remains significantly underfunded in light of its dual research and access missions. UWM supports the Universities of Wisconsin request for $855 million in state funding in the next biennial budget to further invest in our future and bring Wisconsin “up to the middle.”
UWM is taking action that will ensure the strength and health of the university and I will share more about our roadmap to the future during my plenary on Sept. 12.
Your work to fulfill our mission and dedication to our students are instrumental in keeping UWM sustainable for future generations. I appreciate your contributions and hope you will join me in the work that lies ahead.
Best regards,
Mark A. Mone, PhD
Chancellor