Academic Restructuring

The University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh adopted a new academic structure as of July 1, 2025. UW-Oshkosh is now composed of three colleges and six schools:

• College of Business, Arts, and Communication, which includes the School of Business and the School of Media, Arts, and Communication
  
  
• College of Public Affairs and Education, which includes the School of Public Affairs and Global Engagement and the School of Education and Human Services
  
  
• College of Nursing, Health Professions, and STEM, which includes the School of Nursing and Health Professions and the School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

When did the restructuring process begin?

Following the adoption of UWO’s Strategic Plan 2030, an academic restructuring working group was established in Fall 2023 to explore how UWO could position itself for success in the next decade and beyond. The group included cross-institutional representation and was charged to reimagine and realign UWO’s academic structure and program array to position the institution for sustainable, strategic future growth as a learner-centered, research-enhanced institution.

Why did the academic restructuring take place?

Reasons for the restructuring include financial benefits, a more balanced distribution of students and staff, the alignment of UWO programs with nationally recognized career clusters used in K-12 settings, the potential for greater interdisciplinary collaboration in research and teaching, and development of guided pathways to support student success.

What are the outcomes of the restructuring?

• Fewer administrative units: The number of colleges was reduced from four to three; the previous 47 departments and programs of varying sizes were aggregated into six schools. Fewer, more uniformly sized units and standardized operations bring consistency of services to employees and students. The simplified structure increases coordination and agility, allowing for sustained adaptation.

• Efficiencies and cost savings: The previous structure contained a significant number of small departments/programs, each with a chair. The college/school model, with fewer units, will significantly reduce administrative costs and duplicated services.

• Academic Integration and Career Clusters: The new academic structure brings academic units together around career clusters, aligning programs that have related course and/or career goals. This evidence-based practice helps students focus their interests early and allows for guided pathways to be developed. These degree planning paths provide structure and coherence, improving time-to-degree completion.

• Student Success: The new academic model supports learners to discover programs and aligned opportunities (internships, clinicals, service learning, etc.), connect and transition between disciplinary areas, and build supportive relationships and social networks within their chosen school. 

These changes together support a reimagined UWO experience that is learner centered and focused on transferable and/or career competencies developed through experience-driven coursework.