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UW‐La Crosse 

 
 UW‐La Crosse’s undergraduate enrollments have increased over the past five years.  From 
fall 2005 to fall 2009, new freshmen headcounts increased from 1,758 to 1,828, and 
undergraduate headcounts increased from 8,160 to 8,871.  Graduate headcounts decreased 
from 1,261 to 1,138.  
 
10,000

9,000

8,000

7,000

6,000
New Freshman
5,000
Undergrad
4,000
Graduate
3,000

2,000

1,000

0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
 
 
 UW‐La Crosse currently draws Wisconsin immediate new freshmen from across the state.  
A statewide draw of new freshmen may continue to be important, since high school 
graduates are projected to decline in UW‐La Crosse’s region.  The number of high school 
graduates in the Western region is projected to be approximately 500 fewer than current 
levels in 2015, and remain approximately 200 below current levels through 2019.  
 
 Students of color have been between 5 and 8 percent of Wisconsin immediate new 
freshmen at UW‐La Crosse in recent years.  In the Western region, public high school 
graduates of color are projected to increase from 9 percent in 2009 to 11 percent by 2019.  
Statewide, this proportion is projected to increase from 17 percent to 22 percent.  UW‐La 
Crosse could enroll more students of color immediately out of high school.     
 
 Over one‐third of Wisconsin families have annual incomes under $50,000, an income range 
that typically indicates eligibility for a Pell Grant.  Similarly, approximately one‐third of 
public K‐12 students are eligible for subsidized lunch.  At UW‐La Crosse, 16% of Wisconsin 
immediate new freshmen received a Pell Grant in fall 2008.  UW‐La Crosse could enroll 
more Wisconsin students from lower income families.   
 
 Statewide, approximately one‐third (34%) of Wisconsin high school graduates do not take 
the ACT.  UW‐La Crosse could partner with area school districts to encourage greater rates 
of ACT test‐taking.   
 
 More than 1 in 10 (12%) of Wisconsin high school graduates who take the ACT do not enroll 
in higher education within a year of graduating.  In UW‐La Crosses top five counties for 
Wisconsin immediate new freshmen, an average of more than 2,000 ACT‐tested high school 
graduates do not enroll in higher education each year.  These students could be a pool of 
immediate new freshmen for UW‐La Crosse.   
 
 Nonresident immediate new freshmen make up 12% of UW‐La Crosse’s new degree‐
seeking students, the same as for the UW System as a whole.  Although UW‐La Crosse 
borders Minnesota, high school graduates in southeastern Minnesota are projected to 
decline by 500 between 2009 and 2015.   
 
 UW‐La Crosse enrolls a small number of non‐immediate new freshmen relative to other 
UW institutions.  La Crosse County alone has approximately 11,500 young adults (18 to 34 
years) who have graduated from high school but are not enrolled in higher education.  UW‐
La Crosse may be able to further increase its enrollments of non‐immediate new freshmen 
from this population.   
 
 Transfer students make up 20% of incoming students at UW‐La Crosse, less than the UW 
System average.  Transfers from all sectors dramatically decreased in recent years.  UW‐La 
Crosse currently draws the greatest number of transfers from Western Technical College, 
UW‐Eau Claire, and UW‐Richland.  Since the two‐year sector generally is a good source of 
non‐traditional‐aged students, students of color, and lower income students, UW‐La Crosse 
may wish to increase transfer from two‐year institutions.    
 
 UW‐La Crosse offered 11 distance education courses in 2006‐07, 6 courses in 2007‐08, and 
11 courses in 2008‐09. Distance education course enrollments dropped from 188 in 2006‐07 
to 145 in 2007‐08 and rose to 307 in 2008‐09. Academic year 2008‐09 distance education 
course enrollments were 0.3 percent of all course enrollments.  
 
 Retention rates of new freshmen at UW‐La Crosse have been flat in recent years, and are 
lower for the fall 2008 cohort (83.9%, preliminary) than they have been in eight years.  
Students entering fall 2008 had to pay an additional $500 in tuition on their return in fall 
2009, under UW‐La Crosse’s new tuition increase.  Regardless of the specific causes, flat or 
declining retention rates may make it difficult to sustain recent improvements in six‐year 
graduation rates and a favorable position relative to Ed Trust peers.   
 
 The four‐year graduation rate for new freshmen entering and graduating from UW‐La 
Crosse was 32.4% for the fall 2004 cohort.  Increasing the four‐year graduation rate would 
allow more new students to be served at current enrollment levels, while also improving 
the six‐year graduation rate.   
 
 Retention and graduation rates of transfer students at UW‐La Crosse compare favorably 
with the UW System average. 
 
 The strategic use of remissions authority can increase nonresident enrollments and 
increase revenues available on a campus to educate more students.  UW‐La Crosse had 
$225,379 unused remission authority in 2008‐09.   
 
 UW‐La Crosse conferred 4 associate degrees within the past five years, all in 2004‐05.  
Expanding associate degree programs may be an opportunity to further motivate students 
to continue on to a bachelor’s degree and to recognize the educational attainment of those 
students that do not elect to continue.    
 
 
UW-La Crosse
Summary of EqS Reports

UW-La Crosse Enrollment by Race and Ethnicity (2007)

African Hispanic American Southeast Other International White / Total


American / Latino Indian Asian Asian Unknown   
91 125 57 131 148 207 7,788 8,547
1.06% 1.46% 0.67% 1.53% 1.73% 2.42% 91.12% 100%

UW-La Crosse Ten-year Enrollment Trends for Students of Color, 1998-2007

250
African American

200 Hispanic / Latino

American Indian
150
Southeast Asian

100 Other Asian

International
50
Linear (African
American)
0 Linear (Hispanic /
1995 2000 2005 2010 Latino)

Summary of EqS Reports

Access
 Hispanic, SE Asian/Asian, and Native American students increased between 148% to 289%
between 1996 and 2006, but African Americans declined by 26% in same timeframe.
 Relative to HS grads in Wisconsin, African American, Native American, Asian American,
and Hispanic first-year students at UWL are under-represented, with African Americans
experiencing the most severe inequity.
 More than half of African American applicants do not complete the UWL application.
Incomplete rates for other students of color are in the 16%-19% range (compare to 4%
incompletion rate for white students).
 Students of color who complete the UWL application are very likely to be admitted, and the
students of color who are admitted are very likely to enroll at UWL (with African American
and SE Asian students being most likely to enroll).
 African American and Hispanic students were as likely to be first-generation as white
students, while Native American and SE Asian were more likely to be first-generation as
white students. Asian and Pacific Islander students were less likely to be first-gen.

Retention
 1st to 2nd year retention rates for students of color have been steadily rising since 1997 and
are approaching equity (eq. indicator calculated on share of first-year population). Table
below shows retention rates for 2003-2005. In the past few years, retention rates for African
American, Hispanic and Native American students have been improving at a greater rate than
white students. However, SE Asian and Asian students’ retention rates are dropping (by 8.9%
and 3.9% respectively) when they constitute a growing proportion of the region UWL serves.

Retention rates for students at UWL, Fall 2003-Fall 2005


African American Hispanic Native American SE Asian Total
74% 81% 77% 73% 84%

 6-year graduation rates are not great, and are unexpected given the relatively high 1st-2nd year
retention rates. Total graduation rate for students entering in 1997-1999 stands at 60%, with
outcomes for students of color significantly below that figure. No more than half the entering
Hispanic, native American and SE Asian students graduate within 6 years; a little over a third
of African American students graduate within 6 years.

African American Hispanic Native American SE Asian Total


39% 46% 43% 49% 60%

 UWL examined pre-college preparation as part of their investigation into poor grad rates.
Students of color admitted with lower ACT scores (22 and below) are almost all or
approaching equity in terms of 1st-to-2nd year retention, but their graduation outcomes are
still significantly below equity in terms of 6-year grad rates. In fact, 6-year grad rates for all
students of color for ACT scores about 23 also experience significant inequities in 6-year
grad rates.
 Students of color perform equally well in literature and history to their white peers, but do
not perform as well in the social sciences, lab sciences, and math. The poor performance in
math is particularly striking, as the equity indicators in the table below demonstrate. The
campus evidence team notes that the “data for the lab sciences seems sufficiently consistent
to suspect something systematic may be preventing students from succeeding in these
courses…it may be the case that students, especially non-majors, are attempting to take
multiple lab sciences and math courses [which are co- or pre-requisites for science courses]
at the same time…[ensuing problem] might be avoided through careful academic advising
and course placement.”

Equity indicator in Math GE courses, 2003-2006


African American Hispanic Native American SE Asian Total
0.57 0.67 0.50 .70 1.0

Excellence
 Overall participation in UWL’s Honors Program and departmental honors programs is
low (2% of total population), but overwhelmingly white. Zero African American, SE
Asian, and Native American students involved in honors program. Less than five
Hispanic and Asian students in honors program. UWL notes problematic aspects of
university honors program – lack of awareness, no linked scholarships, difficulty with
course scheduling, esp. in science fields. Contrast participation in Psychology
department’s honors program, which routinely enrolls the largest number of students.
Eligible students are notified of program and are invited to apply; accepted students must
complete research project, but receive a research stipend, and a structure is in place to
ensure students succeed in their endeavor (timeline for proposal and research methods
courses properly spaced out). A third of psych honors students go out to grad school, so
the program offers a boost in terms of grad enrollment and preparation.
 Dean’s list representation for students of color severely inequitable, even when
accounting for ACT scores. In fact, students of color with equally high ACT scores are
under-represented at higher GPA ranges and over-represented in lower GPA ranges.
Students of color are generally at or above equity in terms of participating in extra-
curricular academic activities. African American, Hispanic and Asian students are less
likely to complete internships, field experience, and the like than their white peers.
However, all students of color are more likely to complete independent study and
research projects w/faculty than their white peers.
 Asian and SE Asians are less likely to be involved in study abroad, but all other students
of color are above equity compared to their white peers.

Institutional Receptivity
 Overall, African American and Hispanic full-time employees are under-represented at
UWL, while Asian and Native Americans are over-represented. (Equity indicator
baseline calculated using employment figures at UWL and its peers institutions. Peer
institution selection unclear, but indicators incl. size, mission, program array, reputation,
accreditation status.)
 When employment figures are disaggregated by category, we find that African
Americans are severely under-represented among full-time faculty while none other
people of color are. African Americans and Hispanics are significantly under-represented
as part-time instructors and research assistants also (while other people of color are over-
represented). Furthermore, African American and Hispanic administrators/professionals
are severely under-represented (while other people of color are over-represented),
Undergraduate student –to-FT faculty ratios for African American, Hispanic, Native
American and Asian students were below equity.
 African American students are over-represented in terms of reporting that their
curriculum provided diverse perspectives, while Hispanic and Native American students
indicate the opposite per NSSE survey (SE Asian students’ responses are very close to
white students).

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