Confronted with a state deficit of $2.7 billion and a rapidly approaching budget biennium, UW-Madison's future funding hinges on the decisions of Wisconsin's next governor.
Republican candidate Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and Democrat Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett both say they intend to maintain UW System funding as much as the state's financial system will permit.
However, they will take vastly different approaches towards handling the UW System.
Walker has said his main priority for the UW System is to make it ""run more like a business,"" meaning giving individual UW campuses more autonomy.
More autonomy would allow individual campuses to determine how they spend their money and how they partner with outside entities, including private business, foundations and individual donors.
""That's something that many administrators across the state in individual campuses have pointed out to me,"" Walker said. ""They just don't feel that they have the ear of anyone in the government to do that.""
Chancellor Biddy Martin recently proposed the Badger Partnership business model, which entails much of what Walker has been advocating for.
The Badger Partnership model would allow the university to have greater control on how it raises and manages its funds, while still maintaining base funding from the state.
""The proposal calls for a new relationship, one that will allow us to compete so we can contribute to the state's economic growth and change,"" Martin said in an e-mail.
Walker said he looks forward to the new relationship between the university and the state.
""I love Chancellor Martin,"" he said. ""Biddy is one of the most innovative and practical leader's I've seen and just think the world of her and I think much of what I'm talking about and embracing is exactly what she's talking about.""
The Wisconsin Board of Regents is angling for greater flexibility from the state as well, according to UW System Executive Director of Communications and External Affairs David Giroux.
""For the entire time I've been here, our board of regents, including regents appointed by Gov. Thompson, regents appointed by Gov. Doyle, have been asking for these kind of flexibilities every single budget,"" Giroux said.
Barrett said he was willing to work with the idea of greater autonomy for the university, but he had some reservations.
""I am interested in exploring ways to have this a win-win situation for the university and the tax payers,"" Barrett said. ""I want to make sure that this is not something that is going to result in dramatically higher tuition bills for students.""
Barrett said his goal is to increase accessibility to higher education through the development of community colleges, technical colleges, and four-year institutions statewide.
Keeping tuition down through government initiatives is another one of Barrett's main objectives. Walker said he wants tuition to be dealt with on a campus-by-campus basis.
""I think it is imperative that we allow UW Madison to remain a place where middle-income families and lower income families have access to our best campus,"" Barrett said. ""That means student loan programs [and] student grant programs.""
Barrett also said he will strive to keep funding for the university at current levels, which Giroux said is essential for the UW System to succeed.
""We cannot get by on flexibility alone without stability in our funding streams,"" Giroux said. ""Stability alone right now won't get us far if we don't have the flexibility to make better use of those dollars.""
However, UW-Madison professor of economics and public affairs Andrew Reschovsky said avoiding funding cuts will be nearly impossible for whoever takes office, particularly because both have pledged not to raise taxes.
Barrett, acknowledging the dire economic climate, said he is committed to promoting stem cell research, and heavily criticized his opponent for his stance on the issue.
Walker would want the university to focus on adult stem cell research rather than embryonic, according to his spokesperson, Jill Bader. Although he has not conclusively said he would ban embryonic stem-cell research, he said he did not see limiting it as an impetus for researchers to take their research elsewhere.
Barrett said if there are limits imposed on the research, scientists will pick up and move to a more accommodating environment.
""If you are talking about running UW like a business, why would you make decisions that force businesses to leave this state?"" Barrett said.
Several stem-cell researchers, along with biotech company Stemina and a patient advocate, participated in a press conference Tuesday, emphasizing how vital embryonic stem-cell research is to medical advancement.
Timothy Kamp, Director of the University of Wisconsin Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, who was one of the conference participants, said limiting stem-cell research would ""put the breaks on progress.""
Kamp said both types of cells are necessary for medical advancements, and embryonic stem cells also have the advantage of being able to give rise to any cell in the body.
Reschovsky said that, from an economic standpoint, if the environment for such research is better in a different state, it could lead researchers to work there instead.
Meeting of the needs of the university will be a challenge for both candidates.
Walker is willing to give the University System the flexibility it desires, but makes no promises about tuition and could potentially limit stem-cell research.
On the other hand, Barrett said he is committed to financial aid and stem cell research, but is more reluctant about granting the university further autonomy.
Students will have the opportunity Tuesday to determine the future of the UW system at the polls.
