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University of Wisconsin

Wisconsin, University of, main campus at Madison; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1848, opened 1849. Its history was disturbed by storms over the policies of Glenn Frank and of Alexander Meiklejohn in the 1920s and 30s. In 1955 the extension division merged with Wisconsin State College at Milwaukee to form the Univ. of Wisconsin—Milwaukee (coeducational; authorized by the legislature 1955, opened 1956). The collections of the American Geographical Society, a geological museum, a planetarium, and the Center for Great Lakes Studies are at Milwaukee. Additional campuses of the Univ. of Wisconsin system are at Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Kenosha (Parkside campus), Platteville, River Falls, Stevens Point, Menomonie (Stout campus), Superior, and Whitewater. Most of these universities began in the 19th cent. as normal schools, became four-year teachers colleges (from 1925 to 1927), became liberal arts colleges (by 1951), and gained university status (by 1964). Formerly part of the Wisconsin State Univ. system, they merged with the Univ. of Wisconsin in 1971. The university also operates 13 two-year centers throughout the state.

Well-known divisions of the Univ. of Wisconsin are the colleges of agriculture and engineering, the medical school, and the Institute for Research in the Humanities. Notable among the extensive facilities at Madison are the Space Astronomy Laboratory, the Institute for Accelerator Physics, the La Follette Center for Public Affairs, the Numerical Analysis Laboratory, the Wisconsin Center for Theatre and Film Research, and the state engineering experiment station, which includes a solar research laboratory. The university library contains excellent collections relating to literature, science, and Russian history.

See history by M. Curti and V. Carstenson (1949); study by W. A. Strang (1971).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

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University of Wisconsin System

The University of Wisconsin is the system of public universities in the state of Wisconsin. It is one of the largest public higher education systems in the country, enrolling more than 160,000 students each year and employing more than 32,000 faculty and staff statewide. The University of Wisconsin System comprises two doctoral research universities, eleven comprehensive universities, thirteen freshman-sophomore colleges, and statewide UW-Extension.

History

The University of Wisconsin System was created on October 11 1971, by Chapter 100, Laws of 1971, which combined the former Chapter 36 (former University of Wisconsin) and Chapter 37 (former Wisconsin State Universities) to create a new Chapter 36 (University of Wisconsin System) of the Wisconsin Statutes.

Former University of Wisconsin

The pre-merger University of Wisconsin was created by the state constitution and state law in 1848. As of 1971, it included the Madison (1849), Milwaukee (merged in 1956), Green Bay (1968) and Parkside (1968) campuses, together with 10 freshman-sophomore centers (now colleges) and statewide Extension. As of 1971, the total enrollment of the University of Wisconsin was 69,554. The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin included ten members, nine of whom were appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate for nine-year terms. The tenth is the state superintendent of public instruction who served ex-officio on both the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin State University boards.

Former Wisconsin State Universities

The pre-merger Wisconsin State Universities were created by Chapter 36. As of 1971, they were made up of nine public universities and four freshman-sophomore branch campuses (now colleges), with a total enrollment of 64,148. Initially established as State Normal Schools, they began to offer bachelor degrees in Education and became State Teachers Colleges in 1927, and then State Colleges in 1951 with the addition of liberal art degrees. In 1964, Wisconsin State Colleges were renamed Wisconsin State Universities. The board was made up of fourteen members, thirteen of whom were appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate for five-year terms. The 14th is the state superintendent of public instruction.

The University of Wisconsin System

The 1971 merger law approved by the senate combined the two higher education systems in Wisconsin under a single Board of Regents, creating a system with 13 universities, 14 (now 13) freshman-sophomore centers (now colleges), and statewide extension with offices in all 72 counties. Each university is named “University of Wisconsin-” followed by the location or name. Each two-year college is named “University of Wisconsin-” followed by the city and/or county in which it is located.

The Board of the University of Wisconsin System includes 18 members, 16 of whom are appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate. Of these 16 members, 14 serve staggered, seven-year terms. The remaining two are two-year-term position filled by current UW System students. The two ex officio members are the state superintendent of public instruction and the president or a designee of the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.

Doctoral granting institutions

There are two research universities in the University of Wisconsin System that grant doctoral degrees: University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

UW–Madison

Founded in 1848, University of Wisconsin-Madison is the largest university in the state, and the flagship of the UW System, with a total enrollment of over 41,000 students, of whom approximately 30,000 are undergraduates.

UW–Milwaukee

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is the second research institution of the University of Wisconsin System and the largest urban university in the state of Wisconsin.

Comprehensive universities

There are eleven comprehensive universities in the University of Wisconsin System that grant baccalaureate and master's degrees:

UW Colleges & UW-Extension

UW Colleges is an institution of the University of Wisconsin System that grants associate degrees on thirteen local campuses. The UW Colleges also grants associate degrees through its online program. The UW-Extension operates extension courses statewide through offices in each of Wisconsin's 72 counties.

Controversy

Since the union of the universities and colleges under the University of Wisconsin banner, there has been a controversy over the arrangement. The name "University of Wisconsin" is often used to refer to the Madison campus which has made it difficult for other institutions to make names for themselves. In addition, the UW system is often accused of showing favoritism towards UW-Madison at the expense of the other institutions.

Conversely, many who are connected to UW-Madison have claimed that having so many institutions share the "University of Wisconsin" title has caused a form of brand dilution.

While no official moves have been made to dissolve the UW system (nor is one likely to be made), in 2006 an advisory vote was held by the students at the Milwaukee campus to decide whether the school should change its name to something which didn't carry the UW name (such as Wisconsin State University or University of Milwaukee). While the name "University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee" won a plurality of the votes, the tally showed that more than half of the voting students were in favor of a change.