The Fond du Lac County executive says he believes the Universities of Wisconsin missed an opportunity when it merged the two year campuses with the four year universities. Sam Kaufman expressed his frustration at a recent county committee meeting following news that the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh-Fond du Lac campus would be ending in-person instruction next summer. Kaufman says initiatives should have been taken years ago when enrollment at the two year campuses was declining. “I think they lost a great opportunity years back when they started seeing numbers dropping. Instead of merging them into the four year campuses, they should have been looking at retooling them more to the tech field itself to offer tech services or tech classes instead, and they blew that opportunity,” Kaufman told WFDL news. Kaufman says that decision is now having an impact on Fond du Lac County. Kaufman says he’s also upset that counties impacted did not have any input before a final decision was made. “They’re making these decisions that directly affect our campus, our counties, and yet they had not had the courtesy to at least allow us to the table at the Board of Regents to be part of that discussion.” In the end Kaufman says if this trend continues he could see the remaining two year campuses close in the next three to five years.
