Bills may restructure Regent membership
Board needs balanced representation across state, legislators say
McLean Bennett
Issue date: 10/1/09 Section: Campus News
Northwestern Wisconsin and UW-Eau Claire could have permanent representation on the UW System's governing body - that is, if state lawmakers approve legislation making its way through the Legislature.
A pair of bills in the Assembly and Senate aim to require that representatives to the System's Board of Regents come from all parts of the state. The bills propose dividing the state into seven districts, with each having at least one representative.
"The way it's usually slanted is that southeastern Wisconsin dominates the Board," said state Rep. Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire). "So you have Madison and Milwaukee heavily represented."
The Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee voted Wednesday 8-4 in favor of the Assembly bill, according to a Legislature press release. The Senate Agriculture and Higher Education Committee voted 4-1 in favor of the bill.
Smith said it's important to "guarantee that we have some representation on the Board," referring specifically to UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and UW-River Falls.
The 18-member Board appoints the System president, chancellors and deans at the System's universities and colleges, according to the UW System Web site. The Board also sets admission standards and approves university budgets.
Under the legislation, Board members would include the state superintendent of public instruction, the president of the technical college system board, 14 citizens appointed to staggered seven-year terms and two students appointed to two-year terms. The 14 citizen members and both students are appointed to the Board by the governor.
The bills also state that the governor may not appoint a student Regent from the same institution in two consecutive terms, the student Regents may not be from the same institution and students from UW-Milwaukee and Madison may not serve on the Board at the same time.
Smith said the bills will not guarantee that Madison and Milwaukee won't continue to have more representation on the Board than other universities.
But Sen. Pat Kreitlow (D-Chippewa Falls) said the bills are meant only to guarantee there is at least some representation from other areas.
"We certainly know that, based on where the state population is, there will always be a heavy influence coming from Madison and Milwaukee," Kreitlow said. "We just want to ensure that the voices and influence from northern and western Wisconsin aren't zero."
State Sen. Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee) said he was the lone dissenter in the Senate committee's Sept. 22 vote. Plale said he thinks Madison and Milwaukee probably have more representation on the Board than do other areas in the state, but appointments shouldn't be based on geographical districts.
"The governor ought to be able to appoint whom he wants to appoint, and that ought to be based on who he thinks is qualified - not a geographical region."
A pair of bills in the Assembly and Senate aim to require that representatives to the System's Board of Regents come from all parts of the state. The bills propose dividing the state into seven districts, with each having at least one representative.
"The way it's usually slanted is that southeastern Wisconsin dominates the Board," said state Rep. Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire). "So you have Madison and Milwaukee heavily represented."
The Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee voted Wednesday 8-4 in favor of the Assembly bill, according to a Legislature press release. The Senate Agriculture and Higher Education Committee voted 4-1 in favor of the bill.
Smith said it's important to "guarantee that we have some representation on the Board," referring specifically to UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and UW-River Falls.
The 18-member Board appoints the System president, chancellors and deans at the System's universities and colleges, according to the UW System Web site. The Board also sets admission standards and approves university budgets.
Under the legislation, Board members would include the state superintendent of public instruction, the president of the technical college system board, 14 citizens appointed to staggered seven-year terms and two students appointed to two-year terms. The 14 citizen members and both students are appointed to the Board by the governor.
The bills also state that the governor may not appoint a student Regent from the same institution in two consecutive terms, the student Regents may not be from the same institution and students from UW-Milwaukee and Madison may not serve on the Board at the same time.
Smith said the bills will not guarantee that Madison and Milwaukee won't continue to have more representation on the Board than other universities.
But Sen. Pat Kreitlow (D-Chippewa Falls) said the bills are meant only to guarantee there is at least some representation from other areas.
"We certainly know that, based on where the state population is, there will always be a heavy influence coming from Madison and Milwaukee," Kreitlow said. "We just want to ensure that the voices and influence from northern and western Wisconsin aren't zero."
State Sen. Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee) said he was the lone dissenter in the Senate committee's Sept. 22 vote. Plale said he thinks Madison and Milwaukee probably have more representation on the Board than do other areas in the state, but appointments shouldn't be based on geographical districts.
"The governor ought to be able to appoint whom he wants to appoint, and that ought to be based on who he thinks is qualified - not a geographical region."
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