Contact: Ethan Hollenberger (608) 266-7513
Adjusting for the real-world is needed in higher education
Madison, WI – On Thursday, University of Wisconsin officials suggested an increase to base funding is necessary for essential degrees related to Foxconn. Senator Duey Stroebel (R-Cedarburg) issued the following statement:
The University of Wisconsin System needs to prioritize ‘needs and wants.’ The UW needs to start investing current resources into increasing faculty and staff for engineering, supply chain, and computer science degrees. Perhaps, the System should look at decreasing capacity in certain fields that have little demand or relevance. Focusing on specialization across the system will also be beneficial in increasing efficiencies.
At all levels of government, more money is always the easy answer; however, we need to do a much better job allocating state resources currently within the UW System to prepare graduates for high technology jobs.
The UW should look within the budget increase that passed JFC for the resources to expand engineering and business offerings. The System should look within its operating budget to prioritize beyond what has already been allocated.