SB 355

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, 2022. 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.