The Board of Regents recognized Friday the lifelong
achievements of a regent whose resignation was spurred by Gov. Jim Doyle?s
approval of the current state budget.

The budget left out a bill that former regent Jesus Salas
said would have benefitted the state by granting the children of illegal
immigrants in Wisconsin in-state tuition at University of Wisconsin System
schools.

Salas, a UW-Milwaukee alumnus, was an advocate and leader in
recognizing the importance of higher education and worked to secure a better
standing for the Latino and Chicano communities in Wisconsin, according to
Regent David Walsh.

?Jesus Salas dedicated four years to serve on the University
of Wisconsin?s Board of Regents,? Walsh said. ?He has been a role model for
those who seek to triumph over adversity through dedication, persistence and
tenacity. His national reputation as a leader and spokesman for minorities in
our communities earns the respected appreciation of his fellow regents.?

Walsh added the result of Salas? hard work for programs
designed to improve the situation for Latino students in UW schools was the
beginning of operations for the Spanish Speaking Outreach Institute in November
1970. Today, there are more than 1,000 Latino students at the university and
hundreds of Latino students have graduated since.

?Jesus Salas has used his success to effect positive change
for others championing access to education through improved recruitment and
attention of minority students in the UW System,? Walsh said. ?Many students
benefited from his passion for learning, which he demonstrated in the classroom
and through his community service and role as a regent.?

The Jesus Salas Academic Activist Scholarship was
established in Salas? name for his continuous commitment and dedication to the
advancement and wellbeing of the Chicano and Latino communities.

Salas in turn his gratitude for the board, and addressed a
few of the memories shared with several members throughout his four years of
service as a regent.

?It was an extraordinary time when we came here in 2003. We
all remember the multimillion-dollar deficit that the state was in and the deep
cutbacks, and the attempt that we [made] to maintain the quality of this
institution,? Salas said. ?But I think that you really took the school through
difficult times, and I think that this state really owes you a lot of
gratitude.?