Starbucks Teams with COFAC

[Editor’s Note: This article is a part of The Pointer’s annual satirical April Fools’ edition, the Pointless. Pointless stories should not be taken seriously on April Fool’s Day or any other.]

Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, Starbucks has partnered with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to sponsor three new academic courses. 

Starbucks and UWSP have teamed up to create three new courses and limitless hands on opportunities for students wanting to develop skills needed in the workforce.  

The courses were developed in response to growing demand for hands-on experience among students in the College of Fine Arts and Communication. 

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol and COFAC Dean Stuart Benkert worked jointly to structure the new offerings. The courses include Latte Art 101, The Art of Spelling Names Incorrectly 303 and How to Live Off Energy Drinks and Old Pastries 234. 

The curriculum is designed to emphasize real-world skill building and emotional resilience during the morning rush. 

“We really need to prepare our students for the current job market,” Benkert said. “The skills learned in these classes will give students a real shot at a career, or at minimum, excellent wrist strength.” 

Benkert said the courses will simulate authentic café conditions, including unclear mobile orders and customers who begin sentences with, “Actually…” 

“We want the experience to feel real,” Benkert said. “Students will be graded on foam quality, name interpretation under pressure and their ability to survive on approximately one pastry per eight-hour shift.” 

In addition to the courses, Starbucks will offer unpaid internships intended to allow students to apply their training in retail café environments.  Niccol said the internships will provide “immersive industry exposure” and “valuable personal growth through repeated milk-steaming incidents.” 

“I want to make sure I can do the most for the art students of UWSP,” Niccol said. “I see real talent in these students. Frankly, some of the latte designs we’ve seen in early demos were emotionally moving.” 

Niccol acknowledged he initially approached the proposal cautiously. 

“It’s a lot of work to serve Americans their coffee,” Niccol said. “We needed to be confident these students could handle peak-hour energy, complicated orders and at least one person per shift who insists their drink ‘doesn’t taste right’ but cannot explain why.” 

The partnership has been in development for several years. 

“I approached Brian with the idea quite some time ago,” Benkert said. “We were at a late brunch, he’s an old friend. We go way back. I told him our students already have the creative spirit and the sleep schedules to thrive in this environment.” 

Students will be able to register for the courses in late March. Melyssa Barth, a second-year graphic design major, said he plans to enroll immediately. 

“I’m so excited that I have the opportunity to learn these skills,” Barth said. “Honestly, I’ve been preparing for this my whole life by being tired and artistically misunderstood.” 

Barth said he is especially interested in The Art of Spelling Names Incorrectly 303. 

“I’ve been practicing,” Barth said. “I spelled ‘Madison’ six different ways this morning, and none of them were correct.” 

The first cohort will begin classes this fall, when dozens of art students are expected to take their place behind the counter. 

Gwen Pabich

Editor and Chief

Gpabi916@uwsp.edu