A tight job market is prompting members of the workforce to return to school, and Wisconsin's Technical Colleges remain an affordable option for many of them.
However, state Representative Marlin Schneider (D-Wisconsin Rapids) says he's hearing from students already who are having a hard time getting the classes they need to graduate because they're mainly offered during the day.
Schneider says it could take years from them to get into limited course offerings for necessary classes. In some cases though, the course is never offered at night and students may be unable to finish a degree.
Schneider has introduced legislation requiring colleges to schedule one-third of their classes after 5 pm. Each course would also have to be offered in that time slot at least once every three years.
Paul Gabriel, who represents Wisconsin's Technical College Boards, says the proposal is not in the best interest of campuses across the state. Gabriel says scheduling decisions should be left up to college administrators, not state lawmakers.
Gabriel says some classes just can't be taught at night, and the restriction could actually harm students by taking away the flexibility colleges need to properly use their limited resources.
The bill is being considered by an Assembly committee.
