As Gov. Jim Doyle prepares to end his second term in office, UW-Madison students and officials reflect on Doyle's commitment to higher education during his time in office.
Doyle announced his decision not to run for re-election Aug. 21 at a press conference held at Randall Elementary School.
Mike Tate, Democratic Party of Wisconsin state chair, said Doyle's choice of location for his announcement reflects his priorities throughout his two terms in office.
""The fact that he made his announcement at an elementary school, the school he attended, is a symbol of how strong his commitment is to education,"" he said.
According to Kevin Reilly, UW System president, Doyle worked hard to support many key items on the UW System agenda, such as increasing financial aid and the number of students in Wisconsin who receive a higher education.
Reilly said despite the current economic situation, he felt Doyle did his best to continue to provide funding for the UW System.
""He recognizes the key role that the university plays in driving the state's economic engine and the importance of maintaining the university's quality, access and affordability,"" he said.
According to Tate, Doyle also worked closely with President Obama in ensuring that education was a vital component of the stimulus package.
Doyle's recently passed budget, however, requested large sums of money from UW-Madison in the form of segregated fees. According to Kurt Gosselin, former chair of the Student Services Finance Committee, this loss of funds had adverse affects on the Associated Students of Madison.
Gosselin said although education was one of Doyle's main priorities, he felt the governor could have spent even more time focusing on the UW System.
""It obviously would be nice if the governor could have worked with the legislature to provide more funding for UW-Madison, but that might have been an unrealistic expectation,"" he said.
Doyle announced he intended to fully serve the remainder of his term, citing that without the pressures of an election in the future, he will be able to focus on important issues like education.
""Over the next year and a half, I will be the governor, and not a candidate,"" he said. ""And I believe that without all the politics we can get a lot done.""
Doyle said he intends to focus on completing the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery and creating a new Wisconsin Energy Institute.
Gosselin said now people have to wait to see what Doyle has in store for the remainder of his term.
""[Doyle] has a unique opportunity,"" he said. ""I'm curious to see what he has to offer.""
