You're a good student--when you go to class. Your parents are proud of you. I mean, you are going to graduate from UW-Madison, right? Your crummy summer job doesn't pay enough, but you really don't have much choice. The financial aid office laughed at you when they saw your family income, yet somehow you still need loans. Besides, even if you had financial aid, everyone knows it never arrives on time. You managed to find money to buy football tickets and drink on weekends--good thing University Health Services' condoms are free--but your credit is so bad that you will never be able to buy a house. You went out and voted, 80 percent strong, but you wonder if anyone was listening. And still, the state thinks that you don't do enough--you must pay more.
Decreasing state support has resulted in undergraduate debt rising 53 percent in the last eight years, averaging more than $15,000 last year. Additionally, loans make up 70 percent of all student aid, students are consistently paying more of the cost of instruction and multicultural student recruitment has leveled off at 7 percent for the last five years after seeing significant increases. The national reputation of our university has been tarnished by admissions scandal, but the damage was being done long before the story broke--just look at the statistics. By funding several important programs, this state budget has the opportunity to begin repairing the damage done.
UW-Madison has requested funding for the implementation of its recruitment and retention-diversity intiative, Plan 2008. Funding for this plan would provide increases in the Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grants and Advanced Opportunity Program grants, which are available to undergraduate and graduate students of color from low-income backgrounds. Plan 2008 also includes pre-college initiatives that reach out to underrepresented communities. Plan 2008 was partially funded in the last budget cycle, but continued funding is necessary to recruit and retain students of color on our campus. With the funding of Plan 2008, UW-Madison can begin to address issues of campus climate and begin to repair the damage caused by the admissions scandal--prioritizing recruitment of students of color both in and out of state.
Another important aspect of the budget is the Madison Initiative, which breaks down into four basic parts: student learning, economic development, strategic hiring and affordability.
Part one, student learning, focuses on the PEOPLE program, which is a pre-college summer academic enrichment program targeting low-income middle and high school students. Part two, economic development, transforms Madison into a focal point for expanded teaching, research and service related to e-commerce in the Wisconsin economy. Part three, strategic hiring, emphasizes recruitment of leading academics, particularly in the fields of chemistry, medicine, biology and computer science, who will bring a multidisciplinary approach to research and education. Part four, affordability, will enhance several programs that help pay tuition for qualified students via undergraduate research fellowships, internships and merit-based scholarship programs. The Madison Initiative prioritizes student opportunities for research and expanded interaction with professors.
Additionally, students, through the referendum process, voted to support the construction of the new student services/UHS building. It is designed to replace the aging Health Services building, 1300 University Ave., which was never intended to be permanent. The new building would be located near the corner of Lake Street and University Avenue. In addition to being closer to campus and more accessible for students, it will cut costs by integrating UHS' psychological and medical services. Students, through segregated fees, have offered to pay two-thirds of the proposed cost, with the state covering the rest out of the capital expenses budget.
With Associated Students of Madison and United States Student Association's recent victories for higher education at the federal level combined with awesome student voter turnout, ASM and United Council are looking to make the state budget the most important issue in the 2002 gubernatorial race. Students have a wonderful opportunity to join ASM in testifying before the Joint Finance Committee, organizing grass-roots support and lobbying state legislators. Or, more simply, ASM is currently conducting a postcard campaign to raise awareness about budget issues and every student signature provides the momentum students need to win great victories in the state Legislature.
