Creating a Blue Ribbon Commission in the University of Wisconsin System. (FE)

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill creates a 19-member Blue Ribbon Commission in the University of Wisconsin System. Members of the commission include the president of the UW System, four faculty and four academic staff members of UW System schools that the UW System has identified as underserved or undergoing significant programmatic changes, four UW System students, one higher education expert, one workforce development expert, and four legislators. The commission must study, and facilitate discussion of, a public agenda for higher education; a set of long-term goals and priorities for higher education; and accessibility and affordability of higher education. In addition, the commission must do all of the following: 1) define the goals of higher education for this state; 2) identify strengths to continue and expand, and weaknesses that need to improve, in this state's institutions of higher education;

3) identify demographic trends that will affect all institutions of higher education in this state; 4) identify a new funding structure or new revenue streams for the UW System; 5) identify new ways to administer financial aid; 6) offer recommendations to encourage and develop innovations among institutions of higher education; 7) offer recommendations to encourage and develop partnerships between institutions of higher education; 8) offer recommendations to encourage more students to seek higher education; 9) study the success rate of programs designed to increase retention in this state's work force of this state's graduates; 10) study the success rate of programs designed to increase accessibility of higher education; and 11) study the feasibility of establishing a state program to provide debt-free college education to all Wisconsin residents. The commission must submit a report to the legislature that includes all of this information by December 31, 2020. Upon submission of the report, the commission terminates, unless the governor renews the commission for an additional two-year period. The governor may continue to renew the commission for successive two-year periods.

Who's behind it

22 lawmakers are its authors⁠. All 22 are Democrats.

1 more lawmaker signed on in support⁠.