Interim President of the University of Wisconsin System Tommy Thompson recently raised the possibility of consolidating branch campuses of the UW System with colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System, sparking conversation about the issues prompting consolidation in the first place. Thompson first spoke of consolidation at a Jan. 26 webinar hosted by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum. Though it is uncertain what type of consolidation his plans would involve, Thompson cited student enrollment decline and the UW System’s strained financial situation as reasons to consider the idea of merging. Consolidation first came about in 2017 when the UW Board of Regents passed a resolution merging 13 two-year colleges with four-year institutions, effective the following year.