“The addition of a second student member of the Board of Regents offers a unique opportunity for Regents, and all of us in the UW System, to learn more about the needs of nontraditional students. As the former chancellor of UW-Extension, I am particularly interested in ensuring that the UW meets the needs of these students, which are often different than those of traditional-age students.
We know that our student population as a whole is increasingly “nontraditional” — they’re older, have more off-campus work and family commitments, and want to access university resources using a wide array of new technologies. That’s why we recently put in place a new Adult Student Initiative, to be led by the UW Colleges and UW-Extension, with their well-deserved reputation for expanding access beyond traditional university boundaries. This activity is an important part of our goal to increase the number of citizens with bachelor in the state.
“Like the UW System as a whole, this change in Board membership is recognition that the university is in a dynamic time of changing circumstances. We all look forward to learning more about the new member of the Board, and I welcome the new student Regent ’s contributions.”