UW–Madison welcomes in a new class, and a little extra work
As we are all aware, this year brought UW–Madison its second-consecutive, largest incoming class yet and it is exciting to have so many new Badgers on campus. With the excitement of a new, largest class there is also an increased workload in our units. The Office of the Registrar is very proud of its team for keeping up with the changes and continuously providing quality service to our audiences, despite the challenges that come with a large class.
Prior to students being on campus our Credit Evaluation Services (CES) team saw an influx in credit evaluations and also in the number of courses and credits students are bringing to the university on average. The 2021 – 2022 year saw an increase in credit evaluations by 22%, and an increase in course credits posted by 16%. These increases are in addition to record numbers in both categories in 2020 – 2021. This trend in data is not just seen in the CES team, but in other teams across the RO. Phone call volume, not including CES, increased by 5% and in-person traffic saw an increase of 64% within the week before and first week of classes.
While there is immediate work that needs to be done to support this incoming class, there is also a cumulative impact from two consecutive “largest ever” class sizes. These students use services while they are here and will require support as they make progress in their degrees. Despite the increased workload, the team remains committed to its work and everyone can feel the energy and excitement on campus as Badgers either start or continue to create their Wisconsin Experience. For more facts and figures from the RO over the past year, view the Facts & Figures table on the Registrar DEM Insider page.