A few weeks ago, Representative Paul Farrow and I participated on a panel at two listening sessions on higher education in Waukesha County hosted by Waukesha County Technical College and the University of Wisconsin – Waukesha. I was very pleased with the attendance at the listening sessions and the number of people who shared their thoughts with us.

I left each listening session feeling very proud of the higher education community we have here and fortunate that the opportunities these institutions provide, along with Carroll University, are available to Waukesha County residents. We heard from many speakers that these two campuses have very different purposes. UW-Waukesha offers a foundation for students to obtain undergraduate course work, often preparing students for transfer to other higher education institutions to seek out a bachelor’s degree. WCTC plays an important role in training students for the technical skills they will need for in-demand jobs.

We heard from students, teachers and administrators from both institutions about the urgent need for credit articulations. Many individuals spoke about about the difficulty in transferring credits between campuses and the obstacles this creates in their education plan and goals for the future. Clearly, something must be done to make this process better and more efficient.

Representative Farrow and I will continue to meet with the leaders of both WCTC and UW-Waukesha to discuss ways to enhance and grow the best practices of both institutions, and possible ways for the campuses to collaborate.