Interim Chancellor Dr. Tammy Evetovich and other university leaders celebrated the successful rollout of the first University of Wisconsin-Platteville bachelor’s degree program at a branch campus. Students can now complete a UW-Platteville Bachelor of Business Administration in Management at the UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County campus in Baraboo, with the first cohort of students now enrolled in the fall 2022 semester.
Chancellor Evetovich joined Interim Provost Dr. Wayne Weber; Interim Dean of the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture Dr. Chuck Steiner; and Assistant Provost for Branch Campus Operations Dr. Mike Compton, to share the progress of all of the expanded degree and program offerings that have come to the Baraboo Sauk County campus since the collaborative integration of UW-Platteville with UW-Baraboo Sauk County and UW-Richland was completed in 2019.
“We are listening and responding to the needs of the communities surrounding our branch campuses,” Chancellor Evetovich said. “Bringing the strength of the UW-Platteville Bachelor of Business Administration degree fully to Baraboo is just the start of the UW-Platteville programs we plan to bring to students in Sauk County.”
Weber made clear what the new program at the branch campus in Baraboo can mean to local students.
“These points of access to high education open doors – doors of opportunity," said Weber. "Yes, there are more job options starting out than ever, but that won’t last. And there’s a difference between a job and a career, and between a career and pursuing your passion. More so now than ever, higher education opens those doors to passions that are an important part of life.”
Steiner stressed the importance of working with local communities to develop more programs.
“Regional economic development is dependent on high-quality graduates with education and training in areas of need,” said Steiner.
The breadth of economic activity near the Baraboo Sauk County campus makes it a great place for students to work and learn at the same time, he added.
“The number and variety of businesses in the Baraboo Sauk County area provide a wealth of opportunities for students in exciting and varied internships, with many of those opportunities leading to full-time job opportunities after graduation,” said Steiner. “Our goal is to provide academic programs that let students learn, graduate and pursue careers in the local communities of this truly unique area.”
Current bachelor’s degree student Emily Rippeto, from Reedsburg, Wisconsin, praised the focus of the coursework and the support she is receiving from the campus’ staff and community.
“I’m very happy to be one the first students,” she said. “I wanted to attend UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County, but my end goal was always a bachelor’s degree, and I couldn’t do that before (in Baraboo). When I learned the bachelor’s program would be starting here, I was so happy.
After “bouncing around” some other schools, as she described it, when she decided to enroll at the Baraboo campus, she was struck right away that she met with her advisor in person, as they worked together to plan her first semester.
“In other places, I couldn’t tell you who my advisor was,” said Rippeto. “The personal touches here have made all the difference to me.”
Since the collaborative integration in 2019, in addition to the Bachelor of Business Administration in Management, UW-Platteville has launched four new associate degrees in Food and Agriculture, Pre-Engineering, Hospitality and Tourism, and Business Administration, each with clear guaranteed pathways to UW-Platteville bachelor’s degrees. These new degrees are all alongside the Baraboo Sauk County campus’ general education courses that it has been providing to area students since the campus opened in 1968.