The University of Wisconsin listed a new building for the College of Engineering as a priority in a recent report — citing that the new building would help produce new graduates in fields Wisconsin employers desperately need.
According to the report, new, state-of-the-art engineering facilities would help keep and attract talented faculty members, sustaining the UW’s top standing in research and graduate education.
In an email to The Badger Herald, Dean of the College of Engineering Ian Robertson said new facilities will be critical to both engineering students and to the state of Wisconsin.
“This new facility is essential to meet the demand for an engineering degree from students and the demand from industry for more Badger engineers,” Robertson said in an email. “Our current instructional facilities are at, and in some cases, above capacity.”
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The new building would possess additional research laboratories for both engineering and non-engineering students to conduct research that determines the next technological advances, Robertson said.
If the Wisconsin Legislature approves the proposed engineering building, the College of Engineering would be able to expand enrollment by nearly 1,000 students and continue to provide the high-quality education that the UW is known for, Robertson said.
Engineers are critical to economic growth and national security, according to Robertson. Engineers create solutions in various fields, including healthcare, construction, the environment, electronics, national security, energy and transportation.
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UW is the only major university in the country unable to borrow money for campus construction projects that pay for themselves and that use no state tax dollars, according to the UW budget.
State funding for new campus buildings is separate from funding the university receives from Wisconsin for its operations.
University leaders are attempting to modify a current law that would allow the UW System to use funds generated by campuses for proposed building projects, according to Robertson.
Conclusively, Wisconsin’s governor and legislature decide whether the university will receive funding for the proposed College of Engineering building, according to UW and the state budget.
