Chancellor Biddy Martin focused on the economic factors of her proposal in the final installment of her three-part ""New Badger Partnership"" discussion forum at the Waisman Center Wednesday.
Martin said the proposal will help keep the university strong despite the state's economic position.
""Part of the purpose of the Badger Partnership proposal is to come up with a way that we can face the [economic] situation realistically, and to keep our aspirations of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and of the state intact,"" Martin said.
Martin said a competitive research university is essential in light of the state's changing economic situation and current budget pressures.
""In a global knowledge economy, we need knowledge- and technology-based industries. We need a workforce qualifying for those kinds of jobs, and that's where the research universities come in,"" Martin said. ""We need a business model that recognizes the university's competitive position.""
""The premise of the New Badger Partnership is that we cannot be run as if we were just like every other state agency and continue to flourish for the good of the state,"" Martin said.
Martin said the proposal would help keep jobs in the state and would in turn support the state and the university.
""The increased flexibility we're asking for would actually allow us to add more value to the state and had a have a stronger partnership with the state, rather than separate ties with the state of Wisconsin,"" Martin said.
Martin said the proposal would enable UW-Madison to compete internationally.
""Research universities in particular are part of a heavily market-driven and very competitive sector, not just in the United States, but worldwide,"" Martin said.
