UW System president launches reform plan to find savings, streamline academic requirements

MADISON (AP) — University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross is launching a broad plan to find savings, streamline academic requirements and re-examine the need for elective courses.

Cross announced the plan during a Board of Regents meeting Friday in Madison. He says the plan is designed to create a UW System that's more responsive to the state's needs and put the system in a better position to ask legislators for more money and flexibility.

The plan calls for scouring administrative operations to identify potential savings, reducing the number of credits needed for graduation, evaluating whether low-participation courses are necessary and reviewing what Cross called a "proliferation" of elective courses to ensure the priority is on getting students access to needed core courses.

Cross didn't offer any specifics during the meeting.