The School of Continuing Education is a community of educators, professionals and
administrators working to create and present 1500 programs annually to over 35,000
participants of all ages who take advantage of exceptional professional development and
unique personal growth opportunities. The school works to create effective community
partnerships and generate practical applied research that helps to effectively address a
number of important community issues.
Continuing Education in Milwaukee derives its unique strength from the "Wisconsin Idea" -
the conviction that the university has a mission to put the knowledge and innovation it
nurtures directly into the hands of the people of the state. At UWM, the embodiment of the
Wisconsin Idea is The Milwaukee Idea, a collaborative approach bringing together people from
the community and the university to address challenges in education, the environment, public
health and economic development. The School of Continuing Education carries out this mission
through a combination of teaching, community partnerships, and applied research.The school
offers courses in a diverse range of topics, including arts and humanities, science,
business management, governmental affairs, information technology, and social services,
among others.
Throughout the decades of its life, the school has existed under a number of different
names. Its functions were originally part of the University of Wisconsin-Extension. In 1974
the Division of Urban Outreach and the UW Extension-Milwaukee were formed to carry on these
functions in the Milwaukee area. In 1985 several UWM-based operations joined to form the
Division of Urban Outreach and Continuing Education (within a few years the "urban" was
dropped from the title). In 1993 it became known as the Division of Outreach and Continuing
Education Extension, and within a few years, simply the Division of University Outreach. In
2002 the division changed its name once more, this time in order to align it unambiguously
with UWM's primary mission of providing higher education. The new name was, and continues to
be, the School of Continuing Education.
