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Doyle to propose UW investments

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by Douglas Schuette

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Gov. Jim Doyle will propose allocating $1.7 million to increase enrollment at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay when he presents his budget today.

The funding would increase the number of students who attend the university by 2,200 over the next decade and provide better access for "community residents and first-generation college students," according to the governor's office.

Doyle spokesperson Carla Vigue said the proposed $1.7 million is part of a larger $225 million investment in the UW System the governor will present to the Wisconsin Legislature at 7 p.m. tonight in the Capitol's Assembly Chambers.

"The reason why [Doyle] is proposing the $225 million is because as Wisconsin grows and moves into the future, there is going to be a high demand for workers in the areas of business, education and biology," Vigue said.

Funding the UW System now, she added, will help meet demands in the future.

State Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, said the proposal should not be a partisan issue.

"Investments in the UW [System] pay off in many short- and long-term dividends," Parisi said. "Everybody should be able to see the wisdom of investing in the university system."

Parisi added that while Republicans have not been "supportive" in the past, he hoped they would "see the wisdom in moving forward."

Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah, agreed the UW System could use the funding.

Two years ago, Doyle and the Legislature approved cutting $90 million from the system's operating budget. In the previous biennial budget, lawmakers cut $250 million from the system's budget, resulting in systemwide tuition increases.

In order to have a world-class institution, Kaufter said, financial resources must be provided.

In regard to the $225 million, however, Kaufert expressed some reservations, saying Wisconsin may not be able to afford "that much of an investment increase."

Some other UW System proposals Doyle will pledge in his budget today include domestic-partner benefits for all state employees, and investments aimed at increasing faculty and adult students throughout the UW System.

Doyle will also propose additional degrees at several UW schools, funding for research disciplines like nanotechnology, biotechnology and polymer engineering, and an increase in UW-Milwaukee's research capacity and infrastructure.

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