UW-Richland information session and town hall meeting to be held

Community is invited to share ideas about how to save campus

David Kopitzke speaks to Senator Marklein and Assemblyman Kurtz about the need to take action to save our campus, at a recent listening session held in Richland Center. Image Credit: WKOW

An information session and town hall meeting will be held on Thursday, January 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. on the UW-Richland campus in the Pippin Conference Center of Melvill Hall. 

On November 22, 2022, UW System President Jay Rothman issued a directive to end in-person instruction at UW-Richland due to low student enrollment.

The community responded with a petition containing 1,800 signatures addressed to Governor Evers, State Senator Howard Marklein, Assemblyman Kurtz, and President Rothman, asking them to meet with the community to share ideas about how to save our campus. The town hall meeting is a direct result of the petition.

Read the combined petition here:

In December, the Richland County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed Resolution 22-131 on an 18 – 0 roll call vote. Among other items, the resolution:

​—Implores the UW System to return a full-time recruiter to UW-Richland.
—Directs the County to work with the UW System to determine a mutually beneficial minimum level of student enrollment, with the development of clear annual targets to quickly return to the minimum enrollment level.
—Submits a budget request for $4 million for the 2023 – 2024 academic year to maintain a branch campus at UW-Richland.

Read the County’s December 2022 resolution and presentation here:

Senator Marklein and Assemblyman Kurtz have RSVP’d and plan to attend. UW System President Rothman has RSVP’d and is sending Jeff Buhrandt, UW System Vice President for University Relations, to attend as his representative. Governor Evers has been invited but has not yet RSVP’d.

The meeting will begin with a presentation of background information about UW-Richland. It will then be opened up to individuals in the community to share their ideas about how to save our campus. State officials will also be given the opportunity to share their ideas.

The meeting will be held in the Pippin Conference Center of Melvill Hall, 1200 US Highway 14, Richland Center. Everyone is invited to attend.

For more information contact Richland County Board Vice Chair Shaun Murphy-Lopez at 608-462-3715 or shaun.murphy@co.richland.wi.us.