University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee at Waukesha

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The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee at Waukesha was a two-year college in Waukesha, Wisconsin. It was a branch campus of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and part of the University of Wisconsin System. The land and buildings were owned by Waukesha County, while the University of Wisconsin provided faculty, programs, technology, libraries, and supplies.

In 2018, it became a regional campus of UW–Milwaukee, after previously being part of the UW Colleges. The campus closed after the spring 2025 semester. Waukesha County bought the 86-acre site in 1965. The first buildings were built in 1966, and classes began that fall at Mt. St. Paul Seminary because new buildings weren’t ready yet. The campus opened at its current location in December 1966 with Northview Hall, the Library, the Field House, and the Commons. Southview Hall opened in 1969, and the Administration Building and an extension to Northview Hall were added in 1978. The Library got an 1979 expansion, and the Fine Arts Center with the 337-seat Lunt-Fontanne Theatre opened in 1987. In 1992, a computer center and a new entryway to Northview Hall were added, and an 18,000-square-foot library expansion followed in 1992. A major Commons remodel and Westview Hall addition were completed around the campus’s 30th anniversary, and in 1996 a 20,000-square-foot expansion added dining, student services, and more space. In 2001, a new gym floor was installed and the Field House was expanded to include classrooms and a fitness center.

Gertrude Sherman donated a 92-acre field station about 10 miles west of the main campus in 1967 to preserve natural areas for education. It includes a large wood-fired kiln and later hosted a 3,000-square-foot classroom building (2001). The Wildlife in Need Center moved its headquarters to the field station site in 2011, and the Field Station Prairie was named after longtime manager Marlin Johnson in 2015.

In summer 2018, the campus merged with UW–Milwaukee and joined the College of General Studies. In March 2024, UW announced the campus would close at the end of spring 2025. At that time, about 672 students were enrolled. After the closure, UW–Milwaukee closed the College of General Studies, saying the branch-campus program was no longer cost-effective. The campus’ 32 tenured faculty were laid off rather than transferred, a move tied to a 2016 policy change. The 86-acre site and buildings, owned by Waukesha County, are planned for demolition and redevelopment as housing.

Historically, about 2,000 students attended fall and spring terms, with roughly 1,000 more taking summer classes. The curriculum covered humanities, natural and mathematical sciences, and social sciences. The college offered bachelor’s degrees, but many students completed their degrees at other institutions.