A New Model for Higher Education in North Central Wisconsin

When Samyris Thao decided she wanted to become a nurse, she didn't want to leave Wausau. She wanted to stay close to her family, continue helping care for her younger siblings and earn a degree that would prepare her for a meaningful career. Fortunately, she didn't have to choose between those priorities.

Today, Samyris is pursuing her dream through a partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) at Wausau and Northcentral Technical College (NTC). She takes classes through both institutions, works closely with advisers from each campus and is following a clear pathway toward both her associate and bachelor's degrees in nursing. Beginning this fall, her educational journey will become even more seamless as UWSP at Wausau relocates to NTC's Wausau campus. Samyris' story represents something much larger than one student's educational journey. It reflects what the future of higher education can look like when institutions work together to remove barriers, expand opportunities and help students succeed.

Higher education is changing. Today's students are balancing work, family responsibilities and finances while preparing for careers in an economy that is evolving faster than ever. At the same time, employers need a highly skilled workforce and communities need talented graduates who will live, work and lead here in north central Wisconsin. Meeting those challenges requires something increasingly important in higher education: collaboration. This fall, UWSP at Wausau will relocate to NTC’s Wausau campus. While the location is changing, our commitment to serving students and our region remains unchanged. In fact, we believe this partnership expands opportunities for students while strengthening the local higher education landscape.

While our institutions each have distinct missions, we share a common purpose in helping students build brighter futures. Our partnership is built on the understanding that our strengths complement one another. Together, we can offer students more opportunities than either of our institutions could do alone. And, as leaders of our respective institutions, we've also learned that it matters far less where a student starts than how we can help them succeed in achieving their educational goals. That simple shift in perspective changes everything. It inspires us to create pathways instead of barriers, build partnerships instead of silos and focus on student success rather than institutional boundaries.

Students will be able to pursue seamless educational pathways from associate to bachelor's to master's degrees while benefiting from coordinated advising, streamlined transfer pathways and expanded access to faculty, student services and campus resources. Whether they begin at NTC, UWSP or move between both institutions, our goal is to make their educational journey as accessible, affordable and successful as possible. This partnership builds on a relationship that has been years in the making. Collaborative programs including our 1+2+1 in nursing have already demonstrated what is possible when our institutions work together, and additional partnerships, including a new surgical technology pathway, will continue expanding opportunities in high-demand fields. Faculty will have new opportunities to collaborate on curriculum, professional development and innovative program design, ensuring our educational offerings continue to evolve alongside the needs of students, employers and our communities.

Our partnership also reflects our shared responsibility as public institutions to be thoughtful stewards of taxpayer resources. Wisconsin's taxpayers expect us to invest wisely while preparing the workforce our state needs. By sharing facilities, leveraging one another's strengths and expanding collaboration rather than duplicating services, we are maximizing public investments while increasing educational opportunity. This is not about doing less. It is about accomplishing more together.

Northcentral Wisconsin deserves a higher education system that responds to workforce needs, supports lifelong learning and helps retain talented people in our region. We recognize that we cannot accomplish that alone, and we are committed to a partnership that places students above institutional boundaries and communities above institutional pride.

Our vision extends well beyond sharing a campus. We are creating a more connected educational experience that gives our students greater access to valuable credentials, provides regional employers with a stronger pipeline of skilled talent and advances a brighter future for all. The future of higher education will not be defined by institutions working in isolation. It will be defined by those willing to innovate, collaborate and adapt in service of their students and communities. For students like Samyris, and for countless others whose stories are still being written, that future begins here.