Here & Now

Students at UW-Platteville Richland Navigate its Closure

Frederica Freyberg:

In other news, UW-Richland, now a satellite of UW-Platteville, has been part of the community for more than 55 years, even through most of the mergers, restructures and reorganizations for Richland, the two-year campus had once flourished with more than 500 students as recently as 2015. Now with just 60 students, UW System President Jay Rothman is cutting his losses calling in-person classes there no longer tenable given those enrollment declines saying “ending in-person instruction at Richland campus was a very difficult decision. We are facing the same kind of enrollment challenges that two-year colleges are facing across the country. With student enrollment this fall at 60 students, we are not able to provide a high-quality college experience for students while maintaining our fiduciary responsibility to have sound university operations.” This is a devastating development to the students whose numbers may be small but response has been overwhelming.

Jackson Kinney:

We care so deeply about this campus. We just hate to see it go.

Brody Smith:

Really, the biggest thing was affordability. I mean coming here rather than going to a four-year right away is such a big difference.

Autumn Carter:

Love the vibe and the student body is just so together like a close-knitted family.

Haley Zumach:

The location and definitely the affordability. I really liked the close-knit community.

Emily Lund:

There are so many farm kids around here that want to pursue a higher education but they can’t go far from home because they can’t leave the entire farm.

Jackson Kinney:

It’s a critical access point for students in the area and beyond to start higher education.

Autumn Carter:

This has been in the community since the ’60s and has been a big part of the community.

Haley Zumach:

Us as students have been actual advocates for trying to save this place.

Emily Lund:

And after our recruiter was taken away, after all of our faculty was taken away, after — everything has been slowly been taken away from the campus. We’re now losing our enrollment. We’ve been trying but it has been a lack of support from the higher that could have been helping us.

Jackson Kinney:

What are we going to do next?

Emily Lund:

Now that this option is being taken away from me, I don’t know what I’ll going to do.

Jackson Kinney:

I still don’t have all those plans in place yet. Just navigating all of this has been a challenge.

Autumn Carter:

Really sad. Now I have to move away from my family and my community.

Jackson Kinney:

I hope the UW Board of Regents and system president can realize the significance and the importance of this campus.

Brody Smith:

I hope they do look in the mirror hard and then they realize this is the wrong decision.

Emily Lund:

If you’re going to make decisions for us, talk to us because this is our college experience we’re here for. This is our campus we’re here for. This is our community. This is our family and now you’re taking it away from us.

Autumn Carter:

When they make that decision think about us kids losing our access to education close to home.