'Too many institutions for too few kids': Cardinal Stritch closing raises questions about future of small colleges
WEST BEND, Wis. (CBS 58) -- One look at the parking lot Tuesday, and it was easy to believe enrollment at UW-Milwaukee's satellite campus in Washington County had declined by 70% over the past decade.
The drop-off has been especially steep in recent years, going from 744 students in 2018 to 332 in 2022. Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann said the enrollment numbers are evidence of a university that cannot survive much longer.
On Monday, Cardinal Stritch University in Fox Point announced this semester would be its last. University President Dan Scholz, in a video explaining the closure, said declining enrollment, the COVID-19 pandemic and mounting operational costs made it impossible to keep Cardinal Stritch open.
Schoemann launched a task force in 2021 to examine the future of county's two colleges: UWM-Washington County and the West Bend campus of Moraine Park Technical College.
The task force recommended merging the two colleges, and the county board will vote Wednesday on whether to approve that recommendation. The board's vote has no actual weight in deciding the colleges' future, but Schoemann said it was still a proactive measure.
He said it was important for the county to make itself heard after the University of Wisconsin System announced in December UW-Platteville's satellite campus in Richland Center will stop holding in-person classes as of July 1. UW System officials said at the time declining enrollment was a factor in the decision.
"We want to really dictate our own future," Schoemann said. "And not have it dictated to us, like Richland County experienced."
State help wanted
The Washington County task force called for $30 million in state funding. It said the money would cover the logistical costs in merging the campuses, while also launching a unique brand for a single community college within the county that offers programs in both the trades and liberal arts, similar to Milwaukee Area Technical College and Madison College.
Gov. Tony Evers said Monday in Lodi he was surprised by the news about Cardinal Stritch. Evers indicated he would support using state resources to help small universities survive.
"I can't believe that we're gonna end up in a place where these small colleges continue to fail financially. They're too valuable to the state," Evers said. "Maybe we need to look at how we can help these folks stay in business because it's really dramatic."
Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield), who chairs the Senate Committee on Universities and Revenue, said it was too soon to say whether the state should commit to funding projects like a possible campus merge in Washington County.
"I think those are good discussions that we'll have at some point," Hutton said. "There are certainly going to be a variety of opinions, both in Madison, as well as around the state of Wisconsin."
Dire demographics
Schoemann said, looking ahead in the years to come, the math doesn't add up for the sustainability of two colleges -- and perhaps several others across the state.
He noted West Bend was set to have about 500 high school graduates this year, while about 350 kindergarteners were enrolled in the district.
"There's just too many institutions for too few kids," he said.
It's part of a broader population concern for the state as the number of births and new residents is not keeping pace with the number of baby boomers set to retire over the coming decade.
A report by Forward Analytics found that without changes in the state's migration pattern, the number of working-age residents in Wisconsin will fall by 130,000 by 2030.
"Where is the next generation of students, and where is the next generation of workers going to come from?" Hutton said. "There's a tremendous amount to digest there."