The Federal Bureau of Investigations has founded a new board addressing national security as it applies to higher education and UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley has been appointed as a member.
According to a Sept. 15 U.S. Department of Justice press release, the board will consist of 16 presidents and chancellors of prominent U.S. universities in order to foster outreach and to promote understanding between higher education and the FBI.
\In a post-9/11 world, there are more areas where education and law enforcement overlap,"" University spokesperson John Lucas said.
According to the statement, ""the board will seek to establish lines of communication on national priorities pertaining to terrorism, counterintelligence, and homeland security.""
Professor of political science Donald Downs added that UW-Madison does a lot of research that could be of interest to the government.
By having the lines of communications open between the government and the UW, misunderstandings about the purposes of different types of research or policies in place could easily be avoided.
""Wiley may be able to help to make the government better informed so that they don't go off on wild goose chases,"" Downs said.
""I think having someone like Wiley on the board might be a nice kind of buffer between the University and the government. He is a very practical and sensible kind of guy and he could protect UW-Madison's interests in cases where we'd need to be protected.""
The Board will also contribute to creating new academic and professional opportunities for universities like UW-Madison.
According to the statement, the board will assist in the development of research, degree programs, coursework, internships, opportunities for graduates, and consulting opportunities for faculty relating to national security.
""The FBI is grateful that these distinguished educators and national leaders are willing to advise on how we can work together with higher education in order to fulfill our increasingly challenging missions,"" said the statement.
In his role as member of the advisory board, Chancellor Wiley will be able to let the UW's concerns and opinions be known.
According to Lucas, the important thing for the Chancellor was to be able to directly participate in important decisions and shape policies as opposed to having to react to federal decisions after the fact.
Graham Spanier, president of Penn State University, will lead the board, which will meet at least three times a year in Washington D.C.
