The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh stands today at the threshold of a remarkable transformation. I write not just to mark our opening weeks as we welcome the new Titans Class of 2029 but to also express two profound sentiments: gratitude for the resolve that has carried us through formidable challenges and a bold embrace of what’s to come, defining the future of higher education in Wisconsin and beyond.

Over the past decade, our university has weathered challenges that tested our resilience—financial deficits that once reached $18.5 million, declining reserves, and the uncertainty of shifting demographics. Yet, through unity, determination, and unflinching resolve, UW-Oshkosh has emerged stronger. This year marks the first time in recent memory that we have not only closed the budget gap but also set our course toward a financially sustainable and fiscally stable future.

Such progress is not merely financial. It reflects the grit of our community—the faculty whose scholarship inspires, the staff whose dedication sustains us, the students whose brilliance of mind and pursuit of dreams gives purpose to our lives, the alumni whose affection and support remains steadfast, and the elected leaders and Board of Regents whose partnership and guidance affirms our mission and enables our progress towards achieving that mission. Together, we have proven that the Wisconsin spirit is not defined by obstacles, but by the courage with which we overcome them and boldly surge to greater heights.

The class of 2029 joins a university in resurgence. They step into a community where morale is soaring, pride is palpable, and opportunity abounds. They enter a campus that is reshaping itself—not for survival, but for assuming leadership to shape the future of our world. Our new academic structures, restored financial stability, and bold strategic vision position UWO to be at the forefront of reimagining public higher education for the 21st century and the role it will play in keeping the promise foundational to the “Wisconsin Idea.”

 

We will soon embark on a new strategic planning process that will unite voices from across and beyond our campus. It will be inclusive, ambitious, and action-oriented—designed to make our education more accessible, affordable, and purposeful serving all in achieving their livelihood, dignity, and pride. It will prepare students not only for meaningful careers but for lives focused on leaving a positive impact. It will align our work with the emerging social, economic, and technological realities of our time.

We envision UWO as a community that educates for both prosperity and purpose. This means pioneering programs in emerging fields like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, homeland security, precision medicine, advanced manufacturing, and sustainable and economically rewarding agriculture. It means ensuring that every community—urban and rural alike—benefits from our innovation, whether through telehealth, early college access, or partnerships. We will extend opportunity to underserved school districts, to businesses of every type and size, to family farms and innovative agricultural enterprises.

It also means preparing students for the revolutionary transformations ahead. As the World Economic Forum reminds us, the coming decade may displace 92 million jobs, even as it creates 170 million new ones. Our responsibility is clear: to equip our students for the jobs of tomorrow, to provide reskilling opportunities for today’s workforce, and to ensure that change brings not despair, but revitalization and prosperity for all.

Our strategic pillars are clear: bringing education to more households through enrollment growth, ensuring sustainable financial stability through prudent financial management, and being more relevant to our communities by forging meaningful community partnerships. We will expand access to higher education among Wisconsin students studying in high schools representing rural and remote areas, focus on economically underserved and first-generation learners. We will also accelerate our efforts towards launching graduate and international programs to diversify enrollment and revenues. We are already creating new pathways through executive education, summer institutes, and nontraditional learning. We believe in investing in student success initiatives—from scholarships to mental health resources to academic support—ensuring that no student’s dream is broken by financial hardship or personal struggle.

Equally, we will deepen our commitment  as a partner to Wisconsin’s workforce. From advancing dairy and agricultural innovation to addressing water quality and environmental challenges, our research will remain rooted in community relevance. Our commitment is to be present in every corner of the region and state—supporting health, education, technology, industry, and tourism—so that together, we build a more prosperous Wisconsin and a stronger nation.

The resurgence of UWO is not the work of one leader, one office, or even one campus. It is the work of a community bound together by shared vision, love for our state, and pride for this nation’s promise and potential. It is the work of Titans, mighty in spirit, clear in vision, and unyielding in resolve.

We are building more than a university. We are shaping a future in which education is a catalyst for economic growth, social mobility, and national strength. We are forging a Wisconsin that thrives and a nation that leads. And we are doing it together.

As we begin this new chapter, let us carry forward our mission of education and discovery, not as an end in itself, but as a torch that lights the path toward a stronger, more prosperous, and more united future.

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh has endured. The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is rising. And now, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will be leading!

 

This post originally appeared as a column in the Oshkosh Herald’s September 10, 2025 edition.