OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — At the State of UWO Forum on the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus, leadership says the university has a positive economic outlook,.
- The University began last year with a negative fund balance of $1.3 million, but it will start this year with a positive balance of $5.3 million.
- Leadership says it hopes to focus on recruitment and retention of students while cutting operational costs and finding unique revenue sources.
- Chancellor Singh says he's "confident" the university will not have to resort to cutting staff to save money.
On Tuesday night, UW Oshkosh students enjoy time at the campus rec center.
“I come a couple times a week just to work out," UWO sophomore Grace Brown says.
Brown says her time at UWO has been positive.
“I feel like it’s such a fun environment, and there’s lots of opportunities to make friends and meet new people," she says.
Improving student life with amenities like the rec center, is top of mind for the university.
At the State of UWO Forum Tuesday afternoon, leadership says retention and recruitment of students will be a focus in the coming years,
"The one big challenge that we are all facing in higher education is with respect to the declining birth rate and hence declining high schoolers graduating from high schools," Singh says.
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UWO enrollment is still declining but at a slower rate than years past.
“We are on a path to enrollment stabilization and being poised for enrollment growth," Provost Ed Martini says.
Chancellor Singh says with low tuition dollars, the university must find unique forms of revenue sources, such as renting out facilities.
“So that we depend less and less and less on state funding, and more and more on much more business-savvy, economic decision making," he says.“Universities are not for profit organizations, and we are funded by state and state taxpayers, so we are very very prudent when we utilize university resources because we are accountable."
At the end of 2024, UWO had an unrestricted fund balance of negative $1.3 million.
At the end of 2025, the school had an unrestricted fund balance of positive $5.2 million.
"We understand what it means to be a fiscally sustainable, thriving entity," Singh says. "The overall trend in the nation has been declining state support. That means we have to be entrepreneurial.
To continue in a positive direction, UWO says they’ll be looking to decrease expenses. Though Singh says this won't include staffing cuts.
"When I say we want to be cost cutting, we will be becoming more efficient," he says. "Laying off would the last possible option, and that will be only after we have looked at all possible venues of cost saving. I'm so confident of my colleagues here, my faculty, staff and students, that we are innovative, we are collaborative enough that we will never have that situation in which we will have to let go of people."
UWO leadership says they'll be implementing new programs for students, such as accelerated degrees, and partnering with local higher education– like Marian University and Ripon College– to make UWO a more appealing place for students.
Provost Martini says staff retention and competitive wages will also be a priority.
