The Wisconsin Board of Regents met in Platteville Friday, where members overwhelmingly supported the implementation of the Wisconsin Idea Partnership and voted in favor of legislation that would require regional representation of regents.
The Board of Regents voted 12 to five, endorsing a resolution supporting AB39 and SB28, legislation which would require at least one of the members to reside in each of Wisconsin's congressional districts.
Those who voted against the resolution voiced that it disregarded other forms of diversity that would not be represented if passed, and said the governor would lose the discretion he needs to appoint the best candidates to the Board of Regents.
""It isn't always that the issue is geographical representation. It [doesn't represent] minorities, it [has] no representations of organized labor,"" Regent Thomas Loftus said. ""I would like to reserve this power for the governor.""
Regent President Charles Pruitt argued in favor of the resolution because all state congressional districts would be represented. The legislation would ""provide some comfort and encouragement to people across the state that this board will continue to advance the Wisconsin Idea,"" Pruitt said.
The board also voiced support for the Wisconsin Idea Partnership, an alternative option they proposed to UW-Madison's proposed New Badger Partnership that would keep the UW System unified and grant all UW campuses greater flexibility.
""To say that we have to change the structure so a certain institution can compete internationally is to take an eraser and erase everything we're talking about,"" Regent David Walsh said of the New Badger Partnership.
However, Chancellor Biddy Martin has defended the New Badger Partnership as a way to keep the university competitive during these difficult financial times, and also said she supports other schools in the UW System receiving greater flexibility from the state.
-Samy Moskol
