UW Colleges Want To Expand Housing Offerings

More two-year UW colleges are looking to expand student housing on their campuses. Officials say it could help boost enrollment.

The UW-Rock County campus in Janesville doesn’t currently have housing. Dean and CEO Carmen Wilson says they’d like to add a suite-style residence hall with 120 beds. She and other UW-College heads have heard for years that students want to live on the smaller campuses. Wilson says it will help UW-Rock County retain and attract students from areas farther from campus: “Perhaps down into Illinois, Milwaukee, and internationally as well. We have international students who express interest in coming here, but we don’t have housing for them so it becomes quite difficult.”

UW-Marshfield/Wood County officials also want to build housing for up to 100 students. Dean and CEO Dr. Pat Stuhr says students often drive long distances to get to class, something she says can be an added stress, “Going to school is stressful enough and you don’t need all this extra burden of travel times, and driving partners, and dealing with the weather, so I think this is going to be a wonderful opportunity for our students.”

UW-Baraboo/Sauk County officials are also looking for dorm proposals again, after rejecting one in the fall.

UW-College buildings are generally owned by counties. The dorms would be developed by private companies, which work out a deal with the counties and UW Colleges.

Five of the thirteen UW College campuses currently have student housing.