FOND DU LAC, Wis. — Leaders at the Universities of Wisconsin are shutting down in-person instruction at two UW campuses: UW-Milwaukee’s Washington County campus and UW-Oshkosh’s Fond du Lac campus.

What You Need To Know

  • UW-Oshkosh's Fond du Lac in-person education will be discontinued by June 30, 2024

  • University leaders cite demographic trends, declining enrollments and the rising costs for closure

  • Fond du Lac's original construction costs totaled nearly $5 million and the campus opened on Sept. 9, 1968 
 

System chancellor Andy Leavitt said in-person instruction at those campuses will be phased out by June of next year. Some students at the Fond du Lac campus said they’re frustrated by the abrupt change.

Matthew Caine said he’s still in shock after learning UW-Oshkosh’s Fond du Lac campus will close its doors to in-person learning. He said his family has a deep history with this university.

“I chose this college, mostly because the last generations of my family have all gone here and they’ve been very successful,” Caine said. “And overall, just I love the feeling of this place.”

Caine, a freshman who just started his college career, said he’s upset because he’ll have to uproot his life.

“I live in Fond du Lac. I’m not from here, but I did come here a lot as a child and I finally was able to move up here and had my apartment,” he said. “So I would have to move to Oshkosh.”

The chancellor said current students will be able to attend UW-Oshkosh with no changes to their tuition. Caine said he is considering it.

“They’re offering us the same tuition at UW-Oshkosh, as we would pay here just for that next year that we would have here,” Caine said.

Rana Jansky is a sophomore. She said the cozy campus life brought her to the Fond du Lac campus.

“I chose to come here because I liked it,” Jansky said. “I like the smaller classes.”

Faced with transitioning to UW-Oshkosh, Jansky said she’d rather continue her education elsewhere.

“I was planning to maybe transfer somewhere else next year,” she said. “I’m not quite sure where yet, but I was going to go somewhere else for my four-year because I never really liked the Oshkosh campus.”

The choice is not as easy for Caine. He said he’s built a close circle of friends and is distressed about having to start over again.

“We’re more than just a school that you go to,” Caine said. “The people here are all level-headed, and we’re all on the same page and a community that really supports each other.”

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