The UW System Board of Regents may become more geographically diverse if the state Legislature passes a bill requiring representation from all main regions throughout the state.
The bill was proposed in 2005 to ensure all areas from throughout the state are represented.
According to Sisi Chen, communications director for the United Council of UW Students, 10 of the 14 current regents who are appointed by the governor come from either Milwaukee or Dane counties.
She said the new bill would split the state into seven regions based on where the UW System campuses are located, and would require at least one regent to represent each region.
Chen said she feels this bill will allow for all UW System students to be represented on the board, not just those who attend UW-Madison or UW-Milwaukee.
""Since the Board of Regents makes extremely important decisions and sets the budget and tuition increases and other things that affect students within the entire UW system, we think that it would be best for students from each area to have representation on this really powerful administrative body,"" she said.
According to David Giroux, UW System spokesperson, the system remains neutral on the issue.
He said he personally has not seen a problem with the misrepresentation of some areas of the state, and said regents from all areas do their best to address the system as a whole.
""Regents from over the state have done a very good job of embracing that statewide mission and seeing the big picture very clearly,"" Giroux said.
Michael Moscicke, government relations director for the United Council of UW System, said the bill was proposed to ensure the board does not miss out on firsthand knowledge from underrepresented areas.
""Just having one person can make all the difference,"" he said.
