UWM Will Close Waukesha Campus in 2025
Announcement cites declining enrollment, will mean layoffs of staff and faculty.
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Waukesha campus is seen here on Monday, March 11, 2024. Evan Casey/WPR
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will close its Waukesha campus at the end of the spring 2025 semester.
A Monday statement from the university cited “declining enrollment, shifting demographics and budgetary constraints” as reasons for the closure, which was made under a directive from Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman.
The campus closure will impact more than 100 employees, according to the statement, and require layoffs of staff and tenured faculty.
“We are committed to working with our employees through this transition and identifying every possible opportunity for employment,” UW-Milwaukee Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Andrew Daire said in the statement. “Our team members at Waukesha are dedicated to educating and supporting students. We make this announcement with a deep understanding of the loss it will create for our colleagues.”
The announcement is yet another in a trend of recent closures made by the system, as the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay announced in January it will suspend in-person classes at its Marinette County campus when the spring semester ends. In-person classes will also end at UW-Milwaukee at Washington County and UW-Oshkosh, Fond du Lac in June. UW-Platteville at Richland has been without students since May 2023.
The university’s Waukesha campus, which used to operate independently of UW-Milwaukee as the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha until 2018, has seen a total enrollment decline of more than 65 percent from 2014 to 2023.
“As state funding shrinks, many institutions like UW-Milwaukee are more reliant on tuition dollars,” the statement said. “As fewer traditional college-aged students choose to pursue degrees, universities in Wisconsin and across the country face unprecedented financial pressures. As such, they must make difficult choices to move forward from unsustainable operations.”
Gavin Eberhardt has been attending classes at the campus for around two years. He lives near the school, so it’s a short walk to class for him. He said Monday he enjoys the small class sizes and community feel.
“It sucks,” Eberhardt said. “This is a really nice place cause it’s in my community. With it closing down, I don’t know.”
Now, Eberhardt says unsure about his future plans.
“We’ll have to figure it out, most students here,” he said.
As part of the announcement Monday, UW-Milwaukee and Waukesha County Technical College announced plans to develop the UWM University Center at WCTC, which will offer students in Waukesha the chance to continue their schooling. That move was praised by Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow.
“The innovative action taken today by UWM and WCTC is what is best for Waukesha County,” Farrow said in a statement. “It provides certainty for planning purposes and creates a consistent pathway to access higher education for our residents. I am optimistic for the future of higher education in Waukesha County.”
Editor’s note: This story will be updated.
UW-Milwaukee announces closure of Waukesha campus in 2025, citing declining enrollment was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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