Rep. Robin Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, announced a plan Wednesday to change the University of Wisconsin System, proposing measures to alter the admissions process and implement other funding reforms.
Kreibich's "Wisconsin Families First" initiative calls to guarantee Wisconsin high school graduates admission to the UW campus of their choice, provided they complete three years of math and science, graduate in the top 10 percent of their class and score a 25 or higher on the ACT.
"Wisconsin students deserve access to the state institutions that their parents and grandparents helped create and maintain with their hard-earned tax dollars," Kreibich said in a press release. "Admission should be automatic for Wisconsin students who perform well in high school."
While Kreibich lauds his proposed program as a measure to "put Wisconsin families first," some question whether the initiative will live up to his rhetoric.
According to Brian Tanner, United Council of UW Students Legislative Affairs director, the initiative may make a UW education more accessible but not more affordable.
"We want to see everyone that's actively qualified … go to the school of their choice," Tanner said. "But if you can't afford it, it's not going to do you a whole lot of good."
Kreibich, however, pointed to academic access as the key hurdle to UW admission and emphasized affordability only becomes an issue after admission is gained.
"Wisconsin Families First is unlike other proposals that promise financial aid if Wisconsin students are admitted," Kreibich said. "This bill guarantees admission. Financial aid programs are only relevant if you gain admission to college."
In addition to a new admissions policy, the initiative would decrease tax-dollar funding to UW-Madison by creating a new funding formula.
According to Kreibich, UW-Madison currently receives 41 percent of the state's public funding, though the campus only enrolls 21 percent of the UW System's undergraduate students.
With the new proposal, however, the new formula would allocate funds based on enrollment to UW campuses.
The proposal, furthermore, would prohibit UW schools from using taxpayer money to fund the salaries of convicted felon faculty members, pay for the back-up positions of non-tenured staff or provide compensation to terminated or resigned administrators.
"Wisconsin Families First" also would require all tuition costs and other student fees to be presented to students as a simple, combined price, and would order UW schools to allocate at least two-thirds of its general purpose revenue funding to direct classroom instruction.
As Kreibich awaits reaction to his proposal, the UW-System Spokesperson Doug Bradley said the system is still developing a formal position.
According to Bradley, the system "welcome[s] ideas" and looks forward to working with Gov. Jim Doyle and the state Legislature.
"The [UW System] president [Kevin Reilly] and the Board of Regents are committed to making this as strong and as accessible as an institution as possible," Bradley said.
Bradley added much more collaboration and dialogue is necessary to work out the details and feasibility of the proposed initiative, and said the proposal is only one plan.
"We want to increase access, increase graduation rates, increase the number of baccalaureates," he said. "We want to grow the knowledge economy in Wisconsin."
