Doyle Outlines Future UW, Education Initiatives
UW Funding At Center Of Governor's Thoughts
Updated: 3:15 pm CST December 18, 2007
MADISON, Wis. -- With the year coming to an end, Gov. Jim Doyle is talking about the University of Wisconsin's future, among other things.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportIt is a happy holiday season in the governor's mansion after 2007 brought some of Doyle's long sought-after initiatives to fruition. Doyle said during an interivew on Monday with WISC-TV that Wisconsin education was one of the biggest boosts of the year."We've worked hard on the Wisconsin Covenant, which is our promise to eighth-graders that if they finish high school, maintain a B average, are good citizens and take the classes that they need for college, that college will be part of their future," said Doyle.For some, that future will include financial aid -- which could be important if the UW's Board of Regents votes to hike tuition.UW-Madison is currently near the bottom of the Big 10 in cost, but Provost Pat Farrell said he believes getting closer to the Big 10 average would make the school more competitive.Doyle said that he disagrees."To say that we should be becoming one of the top tuition universities is not the right direction for us to go," said Doyle. "That means the state has to be giving significant support to the university."Experts said support is also needed in order to get a quality new chancellor."This seems like the right time to have a transition, and so that's what I'm announcing today," said John Wiley, who announced earlier this month that he would be stepping down as chancellor next year.Discussion has begun about both Wiley's replacement and their salary needs, which some experts say is already under par."I do understand you live in the real world and the real world means that you have to pay for a really good chancellor -- you're going to have to pay a significant salary," said Doyle. "The real world means the cost of education is going up and we have to deal with all of those (issues)."The state has also invested $50 million in the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery under Doyle's 2007 plan, part of which will study controversial embryonic stem cells."To me, this has always been about letting science go where it goes and the most recent breakthroughs demonstrate that if you let science take the direction, go where science leads you you'll go to some pretty amazing places," said Doyle.The governor said Monday's passing of the UW Growth Agenda in this biennial budget is one of the biggest investments in the university in nearly 15 years. He said he believes it will be on track with the number of new jobs it can create and the amount of financial aid provided to students.
Copyright 2009 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.







