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anathema to the older, traditional colleges and universities." (Curti and
Carstensen, The University of Wisconsin: A History, 1848-1925.)
As we work to transform our campus, we build upon the solid foundation
established by our predecessors. We have a similar obligation to enhance the
foundation for the next generation of scholars and learners. To be a leader in the
21st century, we must do no less than redefine the very nature of the learning
process.
As we discuss campus priorities for the coming decades, we do so within the
confines of political and economic realities set by the State of Wisconsin. State
funding for the campus has remained constant for the past four years and appears
certain to decline in the next two. As state funding continues to diminish -- now
totaling less than one-fourth of our budget -- gifts, grants, and earned income will
become even more significant. We also know that student enrollment is likely to
remain relatively constant.
Reallocation of scarce resources will be needed if we are to address many
aspects of the priorities we are setting. This makes our discussion all the more
important, because, for the most part, we will not have new revenues with which to
address our priorities.
I am confident that we have the collective will and the capacity to make
these difficult choices. Those who came before us made difficult decisions, and their
willingness to do so has made us a world-class university. We must build upon their
foundation and embrace the challenge to design and implement a vision for
tomorrow's university.
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