WAUKESHA – At near-capacity enrollment for fall 2002, the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha now is limiting new admissions to former students, some transfer students, and adults.
“Our numbers aren’t significantly different from last year,” says campus dean Brad Stewart, “but the state budget cuts have hurt us.” Tuition covers approximately one-third of the cost of instruction, he emphasizes, with the remainder coming from state and federal taxes, grants and gifts. With cuts in that support, the campus is unable to serve any more students.
“Our strong faculty advising and mentoring programs have helped us retain more of the students who were here last year,” he points out, which means the campus can accept fewer new students.
“We are at 97 percent of our target FTE (full-time equivalency),” reports Student Services Director Barb Kauth, but there are two transfer-student orientation and registration sessions still planned as well as one fast-track session for adults. Some seats in the basic courses have been held open for students registering at these events.
“We are running out of (seats in) classes,” Kauth says, “especially among the required courses.” The campus is not able to open additional sections without the funding resources. “We are admitting students for January and offering other options,” she says, “but because of the budget, we have to hold the line on admissions.”
She and her staff are recommending that students plan ahead and apply early for next year in order to secure admission and the selection of courses. |
