While experts across the nation are busy drafting solutions to deal with what some call a national economic crisis, UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin is creating her own strategy for sustaining affordability and academic excellence.
Martin unveiled her new plan, titled the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates, to student leaders Tuesday. If passed by the Regents, the initiative would implement a supplemental tuition charge for all students to improve the quality of undergraduate education but still remain affordable, especially in comparison to other Big Ten schools.
Every dollar increased by the initiative would be matched by funds raised through private funding by the UW Foundation. The plan would generate at least $20 million in additional need-based financial aid - half of which will be from supplemental tuition and half from private funding - allowing more students who come from low-income families a chance to earn a UW-Madison degree.
Students whose families earn $80,000 or less per year and are eligible for need-based financial aid will receive grants to offset the tuition increase.
I think that the chancellor's perspective shows the need to be attentive and proactive in terms of creating some kind of a policy and strategy that will help us advance our socioeconomic background,"" Damon Williams, vice provost for diversity and climate, said. ""I am fully supportive of it.""
The money from the initiative will also serve to add faculty and instructional support, improve critical student services and preserve affordability of a UW-Madison education.
Currently, UW-Madison's tuition is at the bottom of the Big Ten conference.
Martin said the plan would help UW-Madison remain competitive with other ""peer"" universities like Michigan and Minnesota.
""Demand for higher education has grown fiercer world-wide,"" Martin said. ""The two things I care about most are the undergraduate experience and affordability. I think we need work in both, and we cannot wait.""
The Chancellor and her team of administrators, including Mike Knetter, dean of the Wisconsin School of Business, called for a $250 supplemental tuition charge for in-state students per-year over a four-year period. Under the plan, out-of-state students will pay a supplemental charge of $750 per-year over a four-year period.
The Regents recently proposed a $174 million budget cut for the entire UW system, a 1 percent decrease across the board. Martin said the state's budget cut would force UW-Madison to limit the amount of students who can enroll in several schools, like the College of Letters and Science, at UW-Madison.
University officials stressed the need for student discussion and input on the initiative. Dozens of student leaders gathered at Martin's house Tuesday night to provide feedback on the proposal.
Hillary Minor, the Associated Students of Madison secretary, said she is concerned about the duration of student involvement.
""I think once a plan is already crafted there is not a whole lot of room for change '¦ I hope upcoming forums will be really, really meaningful but I think often times they fall short,"" she said.
In December, Martin conducted student forums to gather input on the current state of the economy. The Chancellor plans to continue talking with students about in the next student forum, which will be held Thursday at 6 p.m.
Several other students said they were concerned with the focus on solely undergraduate education.
Peter Rickman, UW-Madison graduate student and member of the Teaching Assistant's Association, called for administrators to address all aspects of the university, including graduate student's experience.
""I think it's great that the university is making a commitment to making sure more students have access to a world-class education,"" he said. ""But it's absolutely vital that we look at every aspect of that, not just looking for undergraduate students to come here, but looking at funding the academics that make this university the world-class institution that it is.""
Students interested in learning more about the initiative before the forum can visit madisoninitiative.wisc.edu/.
