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In
our region, prospects for the future are tied more and more to the population’s
increasing diversity. The region is one of the fastest-growing in the state.
And much of that growth is in the number of citizens of color. As I told
the UW System Board of Regents last spring, this is an enormous “brain-gain”
opportunity if we have the will to make it so. And that’s just what
we’re trying to do through programs like Phuture Phoenix. I also have said on many occasions that if UWGB is going to be strong well into the future, there is no area more important to address than the need to diversify our student body and campus community. Simply put, we will be left behind unless we cultivate and celebrate the diversity of the region we are here to serve. Phuture Phoenix and other pre-college programs on our campus will help as they continue to raise the aspirations of our youth. But we can, we must, and we will do more. And when we talk of diversity, I interpret the term broadly. Our campus community is richer when we have students from a wide variety of social and economic backgrounds, students of all ages, and students who bring a range of real-world experiences to the classroom. Using this broader view, we are likely to see greater diversity on campus as a result of transfer agreements we have developed with our friends at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. These agreements reflect our shared commitment to serving the region and to increasing the number of residents with four-year college degrees. Our research shows that transfers from the technical colleges can hold their own with those students who begin their higher educational careers on our campus. We must make sure we are adequately serving the needs of all of these students, no matter where they start on the road to a degree. All of this brings me back to a topic you have heard me talk about from the time I arrived on campus five years ago this month: the need to grow UW-Green Bay. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaTOP OF NEXT COLUMN |
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As
you know, we have worked with community leaders to develop a plan called
Northeastern Wisconsin’s Growth Agenda. This plan will provide,
over the next few years, the additional resources needed to increase our
enrollment by 2,000 students, an increase of about 30 percent. You will
continue to hear me talk about Northeastern Wisconsin’s Growth Agenda
as long as anyone will listen. |
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