While members of the University of Wisconsin System emphasized the need for a unified voice in pursuing autonomy, officials reached little consensus on anything else in a Board of Regents meeting Thursday.

Although UW System officials would not discuss a recently proposed third amendment made by the head of UW-Madison, Chancellor Biddy Martin said a fundamental disagreement about what is best for the System and the Madison campus may prevent a unified voice.

Michael Morgan, UW System senior vice president for administration and fiscal affairs, said the aim of the proposed Wisconsin Idea Partnership is to contribute to larger statewide goals of increasing graduation rates. He said this objective will require the Board of Regents to have tuition setting flexibilities in order to meet the needs of all students in the years to come.

Morgan also said the new partnership proposal from the System would provide human resources necessary to recruit and retain world-class faculty and allow campuses to implement new pricing models, a measure consistent with Martin’s proposal for UW-Madison.

“We believe there is nothing that can be done in the New Badger Partnership that can’t be done in the Wisconsin Idea Partnership,” he said. “We need to lay to rest that myth.”

Regent Thomas Loftus said the Board has a responsibility to work in the best interests of the state as a whole, and the current amendment proposals up for consideration by the Legislature do not show a sign of compromise.

System officials should move forward with a unified proposal after consulting with the president and the Board because the individual campus chancellors do not show signs of compromise in discussions, he said.

“We have a very divided state, and we’re adding to the division by seeming to present two competing proposals to the Legislature,” Loftus said. “We have an obligation to the people of Wisconsin to come to the Legislature with one voice.”

Regent Aaron Wingad, a student at UW-Eau Claire, said while students across the System have raised certain concerns about involvement in the tuition setting process under the Wisconsin Idea Proposal, many have expressed “overwhelming” support.

He said retaining involvement from students would be essential in gaining broader support for the plan on a state level.

Martin said suggesting an addition to the existing budget bill is the most realistic way forward, referencing the letter she sent to the state Joint Finance Committee that proposed flexibilities for the System and public authority status on the Madison campus.

Martin said System President Kevin Reilly’s request that chancellors not discuss the new proposal before officials were allowed to formulate a formal response was a “chilling” development and urged Regents to weigh the value of a possible “third way” between the two standing proposals.

While UW-Madison requires every tool provided in the governor’s budget in order to stay competitive on a global scale, Martin said, increased flexibility for the other campuses remains an urgent matter.

“I understand the importance of one voice in Legislative policy when there’s actual agreement, but there [seems to be] actual disagreement about what’s best for UW and the System,” she said.