“With the support we have received today, the UW System at every campus will be better positioned to help advance the state economy by enrolling more students and producing more graduates for important high-tech jobs in the future. We are grateful that this budget will give the university some important flexibility and a boost to our economic development program. These two areas are vitally important for the UW System as we seek to continually improve how we serve the state of Wisconsin and serve our students.
“Governor McCallum initially recognized the importance of a state economic development agenda, and the Legislature followed through by making necessary investments in the UW System. We are very pleased they made these choices while grappling with the tough task of putting together the state budget for the coming two years.
“However, we remain concerned about sustaining this progress for the long-term. The Regents have an obligation to preserve the University of Wisconsin System as one of the state’s most treasured and internationally recognized assets. It is also our obligation to deliver the best possible educational experience to our students. We look forward to working with the Governor and legislators in the future to meet these continuing challenges.”