Current UW Issues
Faculty Retention and the 2007-2009 Budget
Gov. Jim Doyle's budget proposal calls for significant increases in state spending for UW-Madison to optimize access and affordability, faculty retention, research funds, and domestic partner benefits. The primary mission of the university is teaching undergraduates, and the key to successful teaching is retaining strong faculty. Over the last five years, the number of UW faculty receiving outside offers of employment has doubled, and the university's success rate of keeping these faculty members is less than 60 percent. Five years ago, the success rate was over 80 percent.
Gov. Doyle's proposal includes measures to boost faculty retention at the university. Doyle calls for additional research grant funding, domestic partner health benefits, and an increase of $10 million to support competitive compensation of high-demand faculty. As the only school in the Big Ten that does not provide health benefits for domestic partners, UW-Madison has lost key faculty members and, with them, millions of dollars in research grants. Investing in faculty pays dividends; each new assistant hired generates an average of $13 million in outside funding throughout his or her career or almost four times what UW-Madison will pay in salary and benefits.
A Growth Agenda for Wisconsin
More Wisconsin citizens with college degrees means: More high-paying jobs. A stronger tax base. An improved state economy.1
The University of Wisconsin System has committed to boost the economic growth of the state and to achieve access and affordability for UW students. With reinvestment from the state, the UW System plans to enroll more Wisconsin residents and to use university resources to grow the knowledge economy in the state. All UW System schools are dedicated to educating teachers to serve students in rural and urban areas, expand capacity for research and development, and boost science, technology, engineering and mathematics. To learn more about the Growth Agenda, and to examine the regional initiatives in the 2007-2009 budget request, visit A Growth Agenda for Wisconsin.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Admissions
Admission to UW-Madison has been the subject of much debate this year. Freshman admission to UW-Madison (PDF) is competitive and selective. Admissions counselors review each application holistically, carefully considering the individual's achievements. The 2006-2007 freshman class, 60% of whom are Wisconsin residents, meets the high admission standards of the university. The table below displays admissions review criterion and the overall academic qualifications of freshmen enrolled in fall 2006.
| Admission Considerations | 2006-2007 Freshman Class |
| Academic GPA | 3.5 to 3.9 |
| Class rank | 86th to 96th percentile |
| Test scores | ACT 26 to 30 SAT 1770 to 2010 |
| Received a leadership award | 54% |
| Earned a varsity letter | 69% |
| Worked as a volunteer aid | 26% |
| Received a community service award | 23% |
Additionally, Wisconsin residents gain access to the university through transfer programs such as Connections, which guarantees transfer admission to UW-Madison as a junior. For more information on these programs, visit the university's transfer student admission web page.
1. UW System. A Growth Agenda for Wisconsin. Retrieved from http://www.wisconsin.edu/growthagenda/.