Rendering of the Polk Learning Commons at UW-Oshkosh, Aug. 22, 2024. (Photo courtesy: UW-Oshkosh)
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Universities of Wisconsin regents approved Thursday plans for academic restructuring and a major library renovation at UW-Oshkosh.
The $137.5 million remodel of the Polk Library is one of the major projects in the regents’ 2025-2027 state biennial budget capital budget requests. UWO says it will bring about a “transformation” of the nearly 60-year-old building.
Although the project has earned regents’ endorsement, it must still be approved by Governor Tony Evers and Wisconsin’s legislature.
“We’re ready to work with state officials in the months ahead and make the case for this much-needed investment in UWO,” said UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Andy Leavitt in a news release.
Over the last half century, UW-Oshkosh has only added one entirely new freestanding academic building, demonstrating its “renovate-first approach to modernizing the Oshkosh campus.”
The university says it will revamp the Polk Library using a hybrid renovation-and-new-construction plan. The building’s 1967 wing will be renovated, while the complex’s north wing will be demolished and rebuilt.
The project addresses years of water penetration and outdated, failing mechanical systems; more than 50 percent of Polk’s rated building components are designated in “Poor” condition a late-May predesign report.
Additionally, an area to accommodate study and research for students, faculty and the community will be added. It will include print collections, distinctive local and state archives and a digital and social hub.
Once its revitalization is complete, the Polk Learning Complex will total 163,000 square feet — a footprint smaller than the existing building. Officials say it will be “brighter, more sustainable and efficiently use energy and space.”
“The Polk Learning Commons plan reminds us that as libraries transform in shape and usage, they remain the beating heart of any university — havens for learning, collaboration and research,” Leavitt said.
Also approved Thursday by the Universities of Wisconsin regents is a proposal reshaping UWO’s colleges and academic programs into “a new, more learner-centered, career-focused structure.”
Officials say the plan “is well underway but required the endorsement of the Regents.” The restructuring aims to save the university$1.75 million in administrative costs.
The new UWO academic model will shift the institution from four to three colleges and, within, a new structure containing six new “schools.” The restructuring aligns UWO’s distinctive academic units with nationally recognized career clusters already infused into Wisconsin’s K-12 school systems. The new schools group existing programs in ways that make it easier for students to explore and pursue majors without slowing down their time to achieving degrees.
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ed Martini said in a news release that implementing the plan is part of what it calls “UWO 2.0.”
The new colleges and their respective new schools are titled:
The College of Business, Arts & Communication
- School of Business
- School of Media, Arts & Communication
The College of Public Affairs & Education
- School of Public Affairs & Global Engagement
- School of Education & Human Services
The College of Nursing, Health Professions & STEM
- School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
- School of Nursing & Health Professions
“We are committed to the transformation of our academic structure and delivery of an even more relevant and powerful educational experience for students,” Leavitt promised.
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