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UW-W enrollment reaches new record

WHITEWATER — UW-Whitewater enrollment increased this year to 12,034 students.

That's a 3.6 percent increase over last year's enrollment of 11,615. It sets another record for the school.

In a news release, university officials attributed the up-tick to course offerings, majors and extracurricular activities.

But there's another piece to this puzzle: Many UW-Rock County students find UW-Whitewater a convenient and affordable choice.

"It's (UW-W) our number one transfer school," said Kristen Fillhouer, assistant dean of student service at UW-Rock County.

Like many other two-year campuses in the UW System, UW-Rock serves adults training for a new career or those who didn't have the opportunity to go to college right after high school.

About 33 percent of UW-Rock's students fall into the "non-traditional" category, Fillhouer said. Those adults are more likely to have employment or family ties to the area. Commuting to UW-Whitewater is a natural choice.

About 41 percent of all students who left UW-Rock go on to a UW System school, Fillhouer said. Half of those students went to UW-Whitewater.

In a news release, UW-Whitewater Chancellor Richard Telfer said campus efforts to accept more transfer students and efforts to improve student retention also have contributed to the record enrollment.

"People see UW-Whitewater as a place where they can be successful and I think our enrollment numbers reflect that," Telfer said in the news release. "Many of our academic programs are among the best in the country."

New majors at the college include international business, computer science, environmental science and Japanese, bringing the total number of undergraduate academic programs to 52.

The reputation of the student's business school has improves. Last year, student groups at UW-W such as the American Marketing Association, Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization and the marketing and management fraternity Pi Sigma Epsilon all took first place honors at their national conferences.