With the passage of Wisconsin’s state budget last week, the University of Wisconsin System is looking forward to growth and expansion throughout the next two years.

Most importantly, according to UW System spokesperson David Giroux, is that Wisconsin will be able move toward its Growth Agenda — a program that has been in the plans since 2006 that increases graduates at UW System schools and will benefit the state’s economy.

The Growth Agenda is a collective idea that compiles plans created by each school in the UW System that are specific to each region’s economic needs, skills and resources, Giroux said.

The plan was created from the "bottom up" by each school, he added, "rather than a group of administrators coming up with a plan and a cookie-cutter approach for all campuses and extensions."

The goal, Giroux said, was to increase the number of college graduates across the state, create more jobs and provide higher wages for Wisconsin residents.

Giroux called the Growth Agenda "vitally important to UW-Madison," as one of the biggest problems the university currently faces is recruitment and retention of faculty.

UW-Madison has "some of the stiffest competition for hiring and retention of professors and talent," Giroux said.

He added there is a "negative ripple effect" when, for example, a UW researcher gets recruited away to a different campus, as UW-Madison most likely will suffer from a loss in both grant money and graduate students who often follow their advisors "to their new home."

The Growth Agenda will also benefit other schools in the UW System in specific ways that are tailored to each of the school’s needs.

UW-Milwaukee will focus on the university’s growing research enterprise, Giroux said, with the intention of creating new jobs, research spinoff opportunities and commercialization of scientific discoveries.

As schools like UW-Oshkosh and UW-Green Bay are continuing to grow, Giroux said the Growth Agenda will focus on increasing the number of enrolled students and creating more seats in the classrooms so more Wisconsin families can send their kids to college.

UW-Extension and UW Colleges are focusing on getting additional degrees for working-age, nontraditional adult learners.

Giroux said there are a tremendous number of adults who have working degrees, but no baccalaureate degree.

Giroux said investing in adult learners is a "more convenient and cost effective way to bring more four-year workers to Wisconsin," adding that these individuals are more likely to stay in Wisconsin due to their current careers and families.

Other focuses of the Growth Agenda include planning for Wisconsin’s future need for health care and teaching personnel.

"There’re a lot of little things that add up to what we think is a big package for UW students," Giroux said.

Despite the recent news of the budget, the UW System will be responsible for a $25-million lapse to be repaid to the state. Giroux said the payback will be made in a manner that will have minimal effect on students.

"It will be done as creative and careful as possible, so we can achieve that goal without encumbering students in any way," Giroux said.

UW System President Kevin Reilly and UW System Board of Regents President Mark Bradley issued a joint statement showing approval of the budget.

"By investing … in the Growth Agenda for Wisconsin, legislators will help more of the constituents transform educational opportunity into lifelong success," the statement said. "Together with essential increases in financial aid, the state’s investment in higher education puts Wisconsin in a solid position to compete and win in the knowledge economy."