After decisions made in July 2023 to end all instruction at the UW-Platteville branch campus in Richland County, the entire branch campus will be completely closed.
The Richland campus opened in Sept. 1967 and became a branch of UW-Platteville’s campus in 2019.
After instruction ceased, Richland County officials tried to keep the campus from closing and talked to the Universities of Wisconsin System. Ultimately, it was decided to close indefinitely. In July 2023, only 60 students were enrolled on the campus, which was the ultimate deciding factor for the campus closure.
According to the Wisconsin Public Radio, Richland County officials held meetings to try and get the campus operational again. This effort is due to a 75-year agreement between Richland County and the UW administrators.
The “75-year memorandum of agreement that outlines the county’s role in maintaining the county-owned campus buildings and property in exchange for the UW branch campus ‘to provide an adequate instructional and administrative staff.’ That lease is not set to expire until 2042,” Wisconsin Public Radio said.
In a letter from the vice president of university relations for the UW System Jeff Buhrandt, he says that “Despite significant efforts, meetings and discussions with various stakeholders, the parties recognized by fall of 2023 that no viable options existed … As you know, Governor Evers has recently signed into law legislation authored by Representative Kurtz and Senator Marklein which would provide $2 million to any county where a branch campus has been closed.”
Buhrandt continues to say that Richland County would receive the funds from the deal Evers made with legislators.
In response to Buhrandt’s letter, as stated by the Wisconsin Examiner, “County Administrator Candace Pesch said in a statement that the UW System was ‘shirking their responsibilities’ by vacating the campus … ‘Richland County, which had previously relied on the contractual relationship between the parties, is now facing a potential economic crisis due to the Universities’ decision,’ Pesch said.”
UW-Platteville is set to completely vacate the branch campus by July.