Committee forwards resolution to county board seeking dedicated campus recruiter

The committee voted to forward a resolution to the Richland County board requesting that UW System or campus leadership restore a dedicated recruiter for the Richland Campus.

The draft resolution was presented by a committee member who said he compiled enrollment and budget data to support the request. In the presentation the member said enrollment had fallen from 571 in the 2014–15 academic year to 64 in the current year, and cited a campus budget decline from about $3,100,000 (2012–13) to about $1,400,000 in the current year. The packet also included an economic-impact report the presenter said showed a $7,000,000 annual direct impact associated with the campus when enrollment was higher.

Why it matters: supporters said a dedicated recruiter could help increase enrollment, restore campus programs and strengthen local economic activity tied to the campus. The resolution asks the county board to support the effort and to share the resolution with regional contacts and UW leadership as appropriate.

The presenter said he had drafted the resolution to make the request public and to update the county board on progress given earlier committee work on a related referendum. He moved that the committee forward the resolution to the county board at the December meeting; the motion received a second and passed by voice/roll-call vote. Committee members indicated the resolution should be sent to a list of named regional contacts and UW officials included at the end of the draft.

Next steps: the resolution will be forwarded to the county board for consideration at the committee's suggested December meeting. Committee members said they will continue to press for recruitment resources and to coordinate outreach to UW System decision-makers.