Walker says he’s willing to explore Wisconsin Idea Partnership

Governor Scott Walker says he’s open to a plan that would offer campuses in the UW-System more flexibility, similar to what he's offering UW-Madison.

Chancellors from every UW campus in Wisconsin -- aside from UW-Madison -- have signed a letter to legislators championing what’s called The Wisconsin Idea Partnership. It’s a counter proposal to a plan in Walker’s biennial budget that would split the UW-Madison campus from the rest of the UW System to give it more flexibility with budgetary matters.

Walker says the reason UW-Madison was singled out in his budget was timing.

“The system administration itself had come in late in the game and really didn’t give us the technical information we needed to make that possible before the budget was presented.”

But Walker says he’s willing to work with all parties to offer the same kind of flexibility offered to Madison to all campuses.

“This is one of those things we’re willing to work on with chancellors, with lawmakers -- Republican and Democrat alike -- to put together a package and plan that can help provide the flexibility that all our campuses need.”

Walker says having more autonomy will mean campuses can function more like businesses. He says that will result in more money going to instruction and research instead of being wasted as it has been in the past.

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