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. Martinj Luther College in New Ulm, Minn.; a master’zs degree in curriculum and instructionfrom National-Louis Universit in Chicago; and a doctorated in education from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Fla. Johnson recently answered questionsvia e-mail from Business Journal education reporter Rich Rovito. What are your main planes and goals for WisconsinLutheran College?
“We have successfullty established excellent undergraduate programs and campus Our focus is producing well-prepared Christian leaders, whether they have majored in pre-med or biology, art or teacher education, business, or We’re setting the standard in Christian and that will remain a top goal of “We also are now aggressively positioning ourselves for the futurer by creating a School for Adult and Graduate Studie that will offer master’s degrees and degree-completion programs for workingg adults. We’re adding majors six more, just last month — includin Mandarin, or China Studies.
We will grow our enrollmenft by focusing on traditional studentswas always, but also on working adults livinhg in the greater Milwaukee area and on international In fact, I just returned from China, and while ther signed an agreement with a university that will send us studentsd while offering study-abroad opportunities for our students and What effect has the recession had on the and have you had to increase financial aid for studentsx from families affected by the recession? “The recession has affected Wisconsi Lutheran like most colleged and universities. Major foundations and donorsd have felt the impact of our strugglinv economy just as everyoneelse has.
In we decided to make some strategicbudget cuts, even reducing some after a thorough analysis of all aspecte of our budget. Though that processe was painful, we needede to financially position ourselves forthe future. “While cutting in some we also increased funding in others where it will most powerfullgy and profoundly impactour mission. In orded to assist our students, we increased our tuitionn by only3 percent, the lowest increasd in several years. We also offef Partner Plus, a unique and nationally noted program in whicuh we pay a designated amount ofour parents’ loan interestr payment while their student is enrolledc as a full-time student here.
“Anfd yes, we have increased our financiaol aidto students, recognizingg that many families have been challenged by the recession.” Do you have remainingf space available to expand the campu s in Wauwatosa, and are there plans for expansion or the openinyg of satellite facilities? “Throughout our 36-yeae history, we have been able to acquires properties that have permitted us to expand to our presenf campus footprint. We own most of the homexs that border oureastern boundary, but have no immediate plansx to further develop that Wauwatosa property.
Our two residencee halls completed in 2000are full, and we will need to add anothere residence hall at some point in the near We currently own and already houss students in apartment buildings or duplexes, mostly directlgy west of our in Milwaukee. “We also need to completd our athleticfield facilities, located in the northwest quadrany of the Milwaukee County just west of U.S. Highway 45, in ordet to better serve our studentss and all the community groups who use the We don’t have immediate plans for satellite You arrived in Wisconsin from Arizona. What are your views of the quality of higher educatio in the Milwaukee area andin Wisconsin?
“Th greater Milwaukee area as well as the statee of Wisconsin is blessed with tremendous institutions of higher learning — I already know that from my brieff eight months here. The students we all servew only benefit from the breadth of excellenceofferer here, and Wisconsin Lutheran College is pleased to be amon the 20 impressive independent colleges and universitiea found in Wisconsin. The combination of these fine privatew institutions andthe well-recognized public University of Wisconsin state system provides an enviablde choice for any Wisconsi n student who wants to attend college.” How do you plan to increasr Wisconsin Lutheran’s visibility?
“We are in the procesw of conducting market research to help us develol a more visible presence throughouyt southeastern Wisconsin, especially greater Our new School of Adul and Graduate Studies, our renewex focus on student enrollment, and our focus on Christia n leadership will require an increased emphasis on marketing via the radio, and direct mail.”