UW System President Ray Cross’ plan to merge 2-year and 4-year schools has been signed off by the Board of Regents. This decision was made official by the Board of Regents on Nov. 28, and will go into effect before the next academic year. This decision, according to the UW System, will not consolidate the universities and colleges, rather it is designed to provide easier access to higher education.

This implementation is currently scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2018, and students will have access to multiple classroom settings with a more diverse array of students. For transfer students, this merger could be helpful to help with a closer alignment of courses and each course’s individual expectations. Along with this merger, tuition prices are still planning to stay the same.

This merger will affect the University of Wisconsin-Platteville through its merger with UW-Baraboo/Sauk County and UW-Richland. The UW System announced that this merger is designed to combat the decline in enrollment in the 2-year institution. More information on the merger awill be accessible as the implementation process continues.