Karen Herzog

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is reporting a 10% increase in enrollment and $4 million boost in new revenue for its recently completed summer term, and it is planning to continue ramping up the number of courses next summer to help students stay on track for graduation and bring in more money for the university.

UW-Madison captured an increase of about $4 million in new revenue over the previous summer, thanks to a 10% enrollment increase that brought 6,800 students to campus this summer, according to Chancellor Rebecca Blank.

A boost in the number of online courses offered this summer also increased online enrollment 40%, to more than 4,600 students.

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Roughly 80% of the funding boost will stay with the schools, colleges and academic departments, she said, noting in a post on her Blank's Slate blog: "Everyone at this university knows how badly our departments need new funding. By rewarding units that respond to changing student demands, we encourage entrepreneurial activity while also better managing costs."

Students said in a survey last fall that summer term's accelerated courses helped them graduate on time, and that they wanted to focus on challenging degree requirements outside of the normal fall and spring terms, according to Blank. So the university focused on making summer offerings more useful to a larger number of students, she said.

"By staying on track, they save money on tuition and rent, and enter the workforce faster," the chancellor said.

Tuition and fees for a typical full-time summer student are slightly lower than what the same number of courses would cost in fall or spring. A Wisconsin resident taking a typical full load of two or three classes (6 to 9 credits) in the summer would pay a flat $2,604. A student in the fall or spring would pay $2,647.62 for six credits or $3,945.93 for nine credits, both of which are considered part time.

But to be considered full time in fall or spring, a student must take at least 12 credits. Full-time resident students are paying a flat $5,244.24 this fall to take 12 to 18 credits.

Academic departments offered more high-demand courses for the summer term that students need to satisfy curricular requirements, including Anatomy 328: Human Anatomy and Biochemistry 501: Introduction to Biochemistry. Altogether, summer term 2016 featured 71 new courses, plus real-world training such as a legislative internship in Washington, D.C., and a field course in archaeology, Blank said.

Departments also added more online options to serve students wherever they were — more than 100 courses, all told. Popular courses included Economics 101: Principles of Microeconomics and Political Science 317: The Politics of Human Rights, both offered online for the first time, Blank said.

Students from other universities also enrolled in UW-Madison's summer term to get course requirements out of the way, take courses not available at their home institutions, "or merely sample our world-class resources," Blank said.

More than 1,300 students enrolled in the summer term were from other schools.

Blank said the university already is looking ahead to next year’s summer term.

"We plan to offer more of the courses students need, along with even more courses in flexible formats," she said. "In the process, we’ll put UW-Madison on firmer financial footing and sustain our reputation as one of the world’s greatest educational institutions, no matter the season."

UW-Madison has been operating on an agricultural schedule since its founding 168 years ago, Blank said, noting that when UW was created, most students were expected to return to help on the farm in the summer.

Some students still return home to work, but many want flexibility, Blank said.

They do internships during the fall or spring term, or spend a semester abroad. They want to explore more classes that they could not fit into their schedule otherwise. Or, they have better work options in the winter or spring, some want that to be their "semester off" rather than the summertime.

Students who benefit most are those with documented financial need, the chancellor said.

The university awarded $250,000 in summer scholarships to 225 students in amounts ranging from $500 to $1,500.