A committee of politicians and community members evaluating the future of the Universities of Wisconsin recommended the Wisconsin State Legislature explore spinning off the UW-Madison from the broader system, according to WPR. The proposal passed with a vote of 13-5 during a meeting Oct. 24.
Supporters argue that separating UW-Madison from the Universities of Wisconsin would give the state’s flagship university more flexibility to operate independently and focus on its own specific needs, such as research funding and graduate programs, without being tied to the broader system’s budgetary constraints, according to WPR.
UW-Madison Assistant Director of Media Relations Greg Bump acknowledged the distinct challenges that the university faces compared to other UW campuses, but believes these issues would be best addressed in other ways.
“It is vitally important that these challenges continue to be addressed, both for UW-Madison’s future and the future of our universities as a whole,” Bump said. “We believe it is not only possible but preferable to address these issues and these differences within our existing governance structures.”
Communications Director for the Wisconsin Office of the Governor Britt Cudaback outlined the governor’s concerns about splitting off UW-Madison from the Universities of Wisconsin in a statement. Cudaback said a spin-off proposal would not be supported by the governor.
“Gov. Evers has spent years fighting to bolster and support campuses across our UW System, including UW-Madison, and a proposal splitting off our state’s flagship campus from the rest of the UW System is a nonstarter,” Cudaback said in the statement.
The proposal will now head to the Wisconsin State Legislature, where supporters are expected to continue advocating for the spin-off despite the governor’s opposition, according to WPR.
