Fewer graduate and international students are attending UW-Madison this fall, according to data the university released Thursday — a glimpse into how the deep cuts to federal research and visa crackdowns over the last year are rippling through the university.
The data show a 7% decline in total international student enrollment this fall, a decrease of 490 students, and 9% fewer new graduate and professional students.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater announced Thursday that it has partnered with Wisconsin technical colleges to deliver a pathway for health professionals looking to transition into careers in healthcare management.
This move comes as part of a continued effort to fill vital workforce needs in the region. UW-Whitewater’s Bachelor of Science in Health and Leadership Studies launched in Fall 2025, and is designed for students with Associate of Science degrees working in allied health professions. This includes dental hygiene, cardiovascular technology and physical therapy.
All core general education courses, or gen-eds, may soon be transferable between the 13 Universities of Wisconsin.
The proposed UW Board of Regents policy is now being shared for comment at the universities. The gen-ed credits, which are classes students must take for graduation outside their majors and minors, would range from 30 to 36 credit hours in 10 to 12 courses in six curricular categories at all the UWs, according to a statement.
UW-Madison was at a “critical juncture,” former Chancellor Donna Shalala told the group, amid budget constraints, critiques of higher education and a host of other issues.
“I look around, and I see a faculty and staff here that is too often trying to do 80 hours of work in a 40-hour week, too often fatigued, too often unheralded for their accomplishments, too often fearful of the future, and cynical about getting the resources they need to do their jobs,” said former Chancellor Donna Shalala.
“This terrible decision between offering abortion care or receiving Medicaid reimbursement for other services is a decision that, ultimately, is going to affect patients,” Dr. Jenny Higgins, director of the University of Wisconsin Collaborative for Reproductive Equity. “It’s a decision that no healthcare system should have to make.”
Bill Ferrario, a four-year starter who was part of two Big Ten Conference and Rose Bowl championship Wisconsin teams in 1999-2000, died unexpectedly early Tuesday morning. He turned 47 on Monday. Details of his death have not been publicly released, but multiple former teammates who spoke to BadgerExtra on and off the record said he lost his battle to addiction.
