The Daily Cardinal: What would you like to accomplish as chancellor of UW-Madison?
Biddy Martin: I would like to increase funding for financial aid so as to ensure access for talented students regardless of economic circumstance, increase faculty salaries and strengthen our efforts to recruit and retain the best researchers and teachers, develop a more integrated living-learning environment for students and increase diversity.
DC: What is your favorite aspect of the UW-Madison campus?
BM: I like the location on the lakes, the combination of urban density and natural beauty, the visible combination of work and play, the Union Terrace, the Arboretum, Observatory Hill and Picnic Point.
DC: In terms of organization, how does Cornell differ from UW-Madison?
BM: Like Wisconsin, Cornell is the land grant university for its state but Cornell is a private institution. Wisconsin is significantly larger than Cornell. I look forward to the forms of interdisciplinary research, teaching and outreach that are possible at a university with its medical college on the campus.
DC: How will you go about administrating to accommodate those differences?
BM: My overall approach to administration will not change. I will want to understand the aspirations of the students, faculty and staff. I want to help build community among them while establishing a strong, collaborative and effective team of administrators.
DC: Do you believe in communication on all levels within the university?
BM: Open communication is essential to a well-functioning university. As chancellor I want to interact regularly with the student government leaders, with student media representatives and university communications' staff.
DC: What do you think of UW-Madison's past reputation as a party school?
BM: UW-Madison is a place where hard work and merit are rewarded. It has also always been a place where pleasure and fun are valued and pursued with gusto. As long as that pursuit is responsible, I think it is a wonderful reputation to have.
DC: How does Greek life factor into the reputation of the university?
BM: At large universities, fraternities and sororities offer students smaller communities in which to seek friendship, support, fun and opportunities for leadership. Greek life can also damage a university's reputation in the same way other groups can like when they allow or promote irresponsible and potentially damaging behaviors.
DC: Do student athletes play a significant role as leaders on campus?
BM: Yes, as do students whose talents lie in other domains. There are also mental acrobats. They have abilities to use their minds and push their thinking [that] are as impressive as our best athletes' physical abilities. We need to find ways to celebrate them as well.
DC: What is your favorite Badger team to watch?
BM: Right now it's a tie between football and men's and women's basketball, but I have the feeling that other sports will soon compete for the status of my favorite team to watch.
DC: What role will the university play in the upcoming presidential election?
BM: I think our role is to help all candidates and elected officials understand the importance of higher education for the health and well being of the state.
DC: How do you see the university functioning as a single entity in the greater Madison area both on a personal and state level?
BM: We will foster strong, collaborative, mutually beneficial relationships with the city of Madison and the state of Wisconsin while also staying true to the academic values that have made UW-Madison a world-class institution.
DC: What do you have to say about the amount of outside funding that goes to the sciences as compared to the humanities and social sciences?
BM: UW-Madison is a research powerhouse in the sciences, a fact in which we should all take enormous pride. However, the arts, humanities and social sciences are no less vital to a great university and a healthy society. I take it to be my responsibility avidly to promote the arts, humanities and the social sciences and to help the public understand the urgency of supporting them.
DC: Is it important to sustain UW-Madison as an affordable and outstanding university?
BM: Keeping Wisconsin an affordable and outstanding university is our collective imperative. It is important to keep the rates of increase as low as we can in order to allow students to attend regardless of their economic circumstances.
DC: What are you going to do as chancellor to ensure incidents like the death of Joel Marino and Brittany Zimmermann do not occur again?
BM: We will do everything in our power, as I am sure the city of Madison will, to ensure the safety of our students. These horrific crimes have generated a great deal of anxiety and a terrible sense of loss. I believe the university responded with serious discussions and assessment of what it is possible for the university to do and I look forward to learning more about those discussions.
DC: What skills and qualities do you hope to see in students who graduate from UW-Madison?
BM: Intellectual curiosity and a passion for learning, awareness of self and of the world around you, love for what you choose to do, the ability to think critically, teamwork, a sense of your own values, the ability to laugh at yourselves, the willingness to work hard, respect for yourselves and for other people and for our environment.
DC: What should students be proud of during and after their time at UW-Madison?
BM: The talent and hard work that got them admitted to a very selective university, the outstanding researchers, teachers and staff with whom they are studying and working, and the excellence of our athletics and other teams.
DC: How do you see diversity of race, culture and ethnicity play into the importance of the everyday education students receive at UW-Madison?
BM: One of the most important advantages of higher education at a large research university is the opportunity to get to know people whose backgrounds and perspectives are very different from the ones we bring with us to campus. Every student should have the chance to expand his or her understanding and appreciation of the world by interacting and getting to know students, faculty and staff from every conceivable social and economic background.
DC: What are your best memories of attending UW-Madison?
BM: Several of the classes I took in German and in Women's Studies, and the friends I made. I also enjoyed learning cross-country skiing, sailing on Lake Mendota, visiting the lilac garden in the Arboretum and eating ice cream at Ella's Deli.
