Correction 3/14/2014: A previous version of this story stated that Chancellor Rebecca Blank said the university was discussing a tuition hike for out-of-state students, which would be accompanied by more financial assistance. However, in the chat, Blank was referencing the difference between University of Michigan’s out-of-state tuition and UW-Madison’s. Blank did not say she wanted to raise or was discussing raising UW-Madison’s out-of-state tuition. We regret the error.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank explained several issues facing higher education and possibilities for reform in a “fireside chat” hosted by the Doctoral Research Program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery on Thursday.
Blank opened the conversation by talking about the role of higher education in terms of poverty, and emphasized providing a “point of access” for students of all economic backgrounds as well as a structure of support to retain students and ensure a quality education.
“It’s not enough to let people through the door,” Blank said.
Blank said the first item on the agenda for academic reform is an overhaul of introductory classes. According to Blank, students suffer from a lack of access and quality learning environments in these typically large, superficial courses. She said she believes the introduction of certain technologies and “self-assembled learning environments” into these classes will improve the first-year experience and appeal to a wider range of students.
However, her answers to how UW-Madison compares to its national and worldwide competition alluded to the obstacles of expanding socioeconomic diversity and improving learning environments.
“There’s no single answer to this, and no simple answer,” Blank said.
In the past, state dollars composed over half of the university’s budget, and tuition around 11 percent. In recent years, state funding has declined to 15 percent of the budget, and tuition has risen to 20 percent. Blank said maintaining reasonable tuition levels are a primary responsibility, but other sources of funding for the university, including federal research grants and private donations, are less reliable. She explained that an increase in tuition would make the university more competitive.
According to Blank, the issues facing higher education are not isolated.
“You’re not allowed to just solve in your own world, you’re working on issues at the center of major social problems,” Blank said. “We educate people who are going to be on the front lines of these discussions.”
