The Student Perspective
New Advisory Council Assists UW System
By Aliki Godi

With a new Wisconsin economy as one of the hottest topics on the table, a group of UW System advisers gathered recently to discuss the role and future of the state's higher education system.

On the agenda for this meeting were some fairly heady subjects, including brain drain, the UW System budget, student access to the UW System, financial aid and much more.

Only these advisers were not your typical higher education administrators-they were undergraduates from each UW institution who together make up the UW System Student Ambassador group.

The Student Ambassador group is an advisory council established by the University Relations unit of UW System to serve as advisers to System administrators and reflect additional student viewpoint at the state level.

"The average UW System student has very little idea about the role of the UW System," says Eric Edwards, a student ambassador from UW-Milwaukee and a junior majoring in business.

"I feel lucky to be a student adviser to system officials and legislators and also to have some knowledge about the infrastructure of our education system. But most importantly, I'm more appreciative of the UW System as a whole."

Edwards is one of the 41 pioneer students recruited by University Relations last fall for the new venture. Student Ambassadors meet four times a year on different UW campuses with University Relations staff, the president of United Council and, starting this fall, the student regent.

Linda Weimer, vice president of university relations for UW System and a chief architect of the group, says Student Ambassadors are important for the UW System because their main focus is student communication.

Shane Krukowski, student ambassador from UW-Whitewater, meets with Wis. Lt. Gov. Margaret Farrow (right) and UW System President Katharine Lyall at UW Day, the university's systemwide lobbying day at the State Capitol and the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison.

Some of the group's goals include opening and maintaining a dialogue with legislators, helping the Board of Regents send a clear, pro-education message to the State of Wisconsin, and holding roundtable discussions with chancellors and the governor regarding student issues and the economy of Wisconsin.

"We are concerned about the job market-we want jobs in high-tech fields, marketing firms and public relations firms here in Wisconsin. We want jobs that can actually help us pay off our college loans," says Marc Gall, a student ambassador from UW-La Crosse and a junior majoring in information systems.

"Some UW students feel they need to relocate elsewhere for good jobs. We need to put an end to this by attracting more businesses, creating new jobs for the New Economy and keeping more of our graduates here in Wisconsin."

Student Ambassadors provide input and feedback to the University Relations staff and other UW System administrators on a host of projects, including Introduction to the University of Wisconsin System, the System's main admissions brochure and its signature marketing tool. Student Ambassadors also help with special events, government relations and communications. Over the past year, the group assisted with and participated in the Wisconsin Economic Summit and UW Day.

With the Student Ambassador group up and running, Weimer has even bigger plans for UW students in the future-she hopes to get the ambassadors' help in starting a Systemwide legislative program to acquaint more students with Wisconsin state government and introduce more political leaders to the high caliber of UW students.

"Our Student Ambassador group is an important addition to UW System," said Weimer. "If we are truly here to represent the students, then it's critical for us to have a variety of student input at the highest level of the System."