UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin explained her newly proposed initiative to students and listened to their feedback at a forum Thursday.
The Madison Initiative for Undergraduates would propose a supplemental charge in tuition to improve educational quality for undergraduates while helping to make UW-Madison affordable to all students.
""[The revenues from this initiative] will be divided between the need-based financial aid pot that will ensure affordability and economic diversity among the student body, and the other half roughly will be used to enhance undergraduate experience,"" Martin said.
Martin said the plan will add faculty and instructional support in high-demand majors and will enhance vital student services, including academic and career advising, internships and small-group interactions with faculty.
Abby Solom, a UW-Madison freshman, said other initiatives could help keep college affordable besides a tuition increase.
""I think what we can do is find ways outside tuition to keep it affordable, such as choosing cheap textbooks or finding other ways to reduce the costs for students,"" she said.
A UW-Madison engineering student at the forum asked Martin why all undergraduate students needed to pay extra money when engineering students already have to pay differential tuition. Martin said the benefits of the initiative will benefit high-demand courses in the College of Letters and Science and also courses within it required by other colleges.
""Everybody is going to benefit from increased faculty on campus, from the increase of economic diversity on campus, and everyone will be getting a good value still,"" she said.
Brendan Zyvoloski, a UW-Madison junior, said he thinks maintaining and recruiting faculty who are committed to UW-Madison will determine the success of the plan.
""I've seen a lot of professors leave over my short time here. This focus on bringing in professors could benefit Letters and Science and the school in general,"" he said.
The new initiative calls for financial aid for all students who qualify and whose families make under $80,000 a year.Chynna Haas, a UW-Madison junior, said the biggest challenge of this program will be the communication with students on the issue. She said some students whose families make $80,000 or more will not think it is necessarily beneficial to them.
Martin said if the UW System Board of Regents approves the initiative, undergraduate students will have the chance to provide input on the allocation of funds.
Students with questions about the initiative can visit the Student Activity Center March 30 to April 3 from 2 to 5 p.m. to meet with university staff members. Students can also attend the next forum March 30 at 4 p.m. in Gordon Commons.
