Amid confusion regarding the proposed split of UW-Madison from the UW System, a summary of the proposal to be included in Gov. Scott Walker's budget was posted to the New Badger Partnership website Wednesday.
The document confirms there is legislation in place to separate the Madison campus from the UW System under a public authority model in Walker's proposed 2011-2013 budget bill.
The separation ""will provide greater flexibility in key areas to allow UW-Madison to maintain its excellence and to preserve and enhance its ability to serve the state of Wisconsin,"" the document said.
Under the proposal, UW-Madison would be governed by a 21-member board of trustees for which Chancellor Biddy Martin would serve as a non-voting member. The governor would appoint 11 board members, with the rest chosen by UW-Madison and university affiliates such as the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
The board would set and manage tuition rates.
UW-Madison would no longer be considered part of the executive branch of state government, but would remain a public institution, according to the document.
Currently, the Board of Regents controls much of UW-Madison's spending. If Walker's budget passes, UW-Madison would receive its money in block grants from the state to be allotted at the university's discretion.
In addition, UW-Madison would be allowed to internalize non-state revenue such as gifts, tuition and program revenue.
The summary is based on a final draft of the state budget from the Legislative Reference Bureau from Feb. 18.
The New Badger Partnership and the public authority model that it now includes have sparked debate over the past week.
While Martin has emphasized that she has been open about the planned split, the Board of Regents and others claim she has left them in the dark.
UW System Spokesperson David Giroux said although there has been a great deal of conversation about the New Badger Partnership over the past year, only recently has the conversation entailed splitting UW-Madison from the UW system.
""This is a big change, not just for UW-Madison but for the state as a whole,"" said Giroux. ""As such it should be discussed statewide and with all of the faculty members and all of the students who deserve to have a voice in that discussion.""
The Board of Regents is holding a special meeting Friday for Martin to present the proposal.
