Chancellor Biddy Martin and the Associated Students of Madison will create a student oversight committee to help implement the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates, Martin announced Monday at a forum about the initiative.
""I'd like to get their advice in advance of making decisions about expenditures, and let them be the messengers to the campus,"" Martin said.
ASM Chair Brittany Wiegand said the committee will likely operate through the Shared Governance Committee of ASM. While seats on the committee will be limited in number, Wiegand said any student will be able to apply.
""We want to have a committee where students actually have some say, and it's not just that when we agree with the administration they listen to us,"" Wiegand said.
Martin said she envisioned the committee including 10-15 students.
""I would like it to be large enough to be representative of students from different colleges and interest groups, but small enough to feel like they can really participate in discussions,"" Martin said.
If passed by the Board of Regents, the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates will raise $40 million from a four-year tuition hike and fundraising to add support to undergraduate education and financial aid. Since announcing the initiative March 24, Martin sought student feedback by hosting forums and sending out informational e-mails.
UW-Madison sophomore Ben Wood said many students remain uninformed about the initiative.
""I think students just said, ‘Oh wow, tuition increases,' and just called their friends and yelled and commiserated together,"" Wood said.
Martin said she is trying to reach out to students in new ways.
""I put this on Facebook, but I don't have many hits on my Facebook,"" she said, laughing with the audience. ""So if you could help me out by becoming a fan…""
Martin said she will also hold one more forum and expand her office hours to be available to students with questions.
""For me, there's the benefit of getting this done for the university, and then there's the side benefit of getting to interact with students,"" Martin said.
UW-Madison administrators will be available in the Student Activity Center from 2-5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday this week.
