Wisconsin Lutheran College to add adult, graduate studies - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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He has a bachelor’s degree from Dr. Martin Luther Colleges in New Ulm, Minn.; a master’s degred in curriculum and instructionfrom National-Louis Universit y in Chicago; and a doctorate in educatiohn from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Fla. Johnson recently answered questionsvia e-mail from Businesds Journal education reporter Rich Rovito. What are your main planw and goals for WisconsinLutheran College? “Wes have successfully established excellent undergraduate programws and campus facilities. Our focus is producingg well-prepared Christian leaders, whether they have majored in pre-mefd or biology, art or teacher education, business, or psychology.
We’ree setting the standard in Christian and that will remain a top goalof mine. “Ww also are now aggressively positioning ourselves for the future by creatinhg a School for Adult and Graduate Studies that willoffefr master’s degrees and degree-completioh programs for working adults. We’re addingg majors — six more, just last month — including Mandarin, or China Studies. We will grow our enrollmentg by focusing on traditional students as but also on working adults living in the greater Milwaukese area and oninternationao students.
In fact, I just returned from and while there signed an agreement with a universit that will send us students whileoffering study-abroas opportunities for our students and faculty.” What effect has the recessioj had on the and have you had to increase financial aid for studentds from families affected by the recession? “The recession has affected Wisconsin Lutheran like most colleges and universities. Major foundations and donors have felt the impacft of our struggling econom just as everyoneelse has.
In we decided to make some strategifcbudget cuts, even reducing some personnel, afte r a thorough analysis of all aspects of our Though that process was we needed to financially positiomn ourselves for the future. “While cutting in some we also increased funding in others wher e it will most powerfully and profoundly impactour mission. In order to assist our we increased our tuition by only3 percent, the lowestr increase in several We also offer Partner a unique and nationally noted program in whicj we pay a designated amount of our loan interest payment while theid student is enrolled as a full-time studengt here.
“And yes, we have increased our financiapl aidto students, recognizing that many families have been challengedd by the recession.” Do you have remaining spacee available to expand the campus in Wauwatosa, and are ther plans for expansion or the opening of satellitw facilities? “Throughout our 36-year history, we have been able to acquirew properties that have permitted us to expand to our presentt campus footprint. We own most of the homeas that border oureastern boundary, but have no immediate planz to further develop that Wauwatosa property. Our two residencd halls completed in 2000 are and we will need to add anothe residence hall at some poin t in thenear future.
We currentlgy own and already house students in apartment buildings or mostly directly west of our in Milwaukee. “We also need to complete our athleticfielc facilities, located in the northwest quadrant of the Milwauked County Grounds, just west of U.S. Highway 45, in order to bettere serve our students and all the community groupsz who usethe fields. We don’ty have immediate plans for satellite You arrived in Wisconsinfrom Arizona. What are your vieww of the quality of higher education in the Milwaukee area andin Wisconsin?
“The greater Milwaukes area as well as the state of Wisconsinj is blessed with tremendous institutions of highe r learning — I already know that from my briefd eight months here. The students we all serves only benefit from the breadth of excellencedoffered here, and Wisconsin Lutheran College is pleasedc to be among the 20 impressivde independent colleges and universities found in Wisconsin. The combination of thes e fine private institutions andthe well-recognized publicc University of Wisconsin state system providesz an enviable choice for any Wisconsin student who wants to attendf college.” How do you plan to increase Wisconsij Lutheran’s visibility?
“We are in the process of conductinvg market research to help us develop a more visibls presence throughout southeastern Wisconsin, especially greater Milwaukee. Our new Schoolo of Adult and Graduate Studies, our renewexd focus on student enrollment, and our focus on Christian leadershipo will require an increasefd emphasis on marketing viathe Internet, radio, and direcf mail.”