Five priorities guide the University of Wisconsin–Madison, each helping to support the central objective of the campus’s strategic plan: To sustain and strengthen our position of preeminence in research and higher education.

These five priorities, first identified during a strategic planning process in 2001, provide a solid foundation as campus units go about the daily operations of a renowned public research university:

• Promote Research
• Advance Learning
• Accelerate Internationalization
• Amplify the Wisconsin Idea
• Nurture Human Resources

This report provides a sampling of accomplishments achieved in the five strategic priority areas during the plan’s fifth year.

Promote Research

UW–Madison has maintained its role among the top U.S. research universities, with research awards totaling $957.7 million for 2004–05. The campus received $654.3 million in federal research awards and $303.4 million in non-federal research awards.

The university is making tangible commitments to interdisciplinary research. A seed grant initiative, funded through the newly established Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery (see Technology Transfer), will support research at the interface of traditional disciplines. An Interdisciplinary Research Center, which will provide critical facilities for the School of Medicine and Public Health, is on track for completion in 2008.

An impressive array of research projects is focused on work of national—and often global—importance. The College of Engineering has developed a UW Energy Institute and is conducting leading-edge atomic-level research. Researchers at the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies are publishing significant findings on global environmental change. The School of Veterinary Medicine, in partnership with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, has initiated an institute for influenza research. A four-year contract awarded to UW–Madison and the WiCell Research Institute to establish a National Stem Cell Bank is keeping the university at the forefront of stem-cell research.

Supporting measures: Extramural Research Support

Advance Learning

Advancements in teaching and the infrastructure to support student learning occur at the campus level and in schools and colleges. This infrastructure includes a number of technological initiatives that have enhanced UW–Madison’s learning environment. Wireless Internet access soon will be available in 60 percent of campus buildings, and WiscWaves, a very high-speed optical fiber link to the Internet, is now operational. Enrollment Management introduced an electronic service that allows students and alumni to order and pay for official transcripts via the Web, converted the Timetable to fully electronic access and earned national recognition for expertise in ISIS, the campus’s infrastructure for student data. The Division of Information Technology launched a program to encourage faculty to use podcasting to supplement course instruction. UW–Madison Libraries, via focus groups with students and faculty, are exploring ways to create collaborative learning and research environments for the campus community.

UNDERGRADUATE
UW–Madison is emphasizing academic enrichment experiences by providing opportunities such as residential learning communities, hands-on research, internships for academic credit, fieldwork courses, service learning, honors courses, independent study and study abroad. These activities are integral parts of the undergraduate experience; 80 percent of 2005 graduates participated in at least one of these experiences.

Across the campus, initiatives are keeping undergraduate education at the forefront. An annual conference for faculty and staff explores the unique issues facing first-year students. The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences has adopted “Goals Beyond the Major” to guide the learning process for first-year students. The College of Letters and Science has hired coordinators for college-level scholarships and student internships, two critical components of the undergraduate experience. Through its artist-in-residence program, the Arts Institute offers students face-to-face access to renowned artists. The campus’s first new residence hall built since the 1960s, Newell J. Smith Hall, was designed with academics in mind: The new facility features a tutoring room, tech center, classrooms and study rooms.

GRADUATE
UW–Madison conferred 1,806 master’s degrees, and ranked among the top 10 U.S. universities by granting 648 doctoral degrees in 2005.

The Graduate School eased the application process for prospective graduate students by creating new Web pages and accepting electronic letters of recommendation.

Schools and colleges developed new graduate-level opportunities to meet emerging needs in the workplace. The School of Business expanded offerings in economics and data analysis and added a mandatory international trip for its evening MBA program. Two new graduate programs—M.S.-agroecology, and Ph.D.-neuroscience and M.A.-public policy—exemplify the commitment to cross-disciplinary graduate training. A new master of public health is collaborating with R.N., Pharm.D. and M.D. programs, preparing the next generation of public-health leaders.

LIFELONG
UW–Madison continues to be a leader in lifelong learning across the state and the nation, providing summer sessions (enrollment of 13,144); evening, weekend, off-campus and distance education (31,690); noncredit continuing education (68,000); alumni and senior learning (2,500); and career and educational counseling (more than 10,000).

The university also offers programming in specialized areas, such as Arabic, Persian and Indonesian language training for those supporting overseas operations. The School of Business was included in a list of the world’s top executive education providers for the fifth consecutive year. The School of Veterinary Medicine is focusing on Web-based instructional technology to deliver its continuing education programs.

Supporting measures: Time to Degree and Graduation Rates  | Bachelor's Degree Recipients with One or More Academic Enrichment Activity |  Residential Learning Communities and First-Year Interest Groups | Service Learning and Community-Based Research Groups | Outreach Enrollment by Student Level

Amplify the Wisconsin Idea

The Wisconsin Idea, which regards the borders of the university as the borders of the state, is an important aspect of both the past and the present at UW–Madison. The Division of Continuing Studies provided HIV/AIDS prevention training to 500 professionals and its nationally accredited certificate program prepared individuals for the public management profession. The School of Nursing offered continuing education programs to 19 rural Wisconsin healthcare settings. The School of Pharmacy conducted more than 400 continuing education programs for pharmacy practitioners and pharmaceutical industry scientists. In partnership with other state agencies, the School of Human Ecology provided in-service training for more than 2,200 child-welfare practitioners in 20 southern Wisconsin counties.

A new Law School program is taking the Wisconsin Idea to the international level by assisting countries seeking to democratize their corporate practices and introducing Wisconsin businesses to Asian markets.

Oftentimes, sharing the breadth and depth of the university is best achieved right on campus. More than 2,000 people took advantage of offerings during a campus arts open house held in October 2005. The following spring, the Wisconsin Film Festival showed 177 films in eight venues to audiences totaling 26,000.

UW Athletics gave fans a remarkable season, with an unprecedented four teams winning national championships.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
In April 2006, the Wisconsin Building Commission approved plans for the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, a public/private partnership. The two institutes—funded by a $50 million gift from John and Tashia Morgridge that is matched by $50 million from WARF and $50 million from the state of Wisconsin—will serve as a hub for multidisciplinary collaborations.

With its roster of 110 companies with some 4,100 employees and an annual total payroll of about $240 million, University Research Park continues to serve as a model for supporting new businesses that are spun off from university discoveries. The Office of Corporate Relations launched an initiative to support faculty, staff and students who are considering startup companies based on UW–Madison research.

At the BIO2006 conference, an audience of biotechnology companies and researchers from 62 countries learned about UW-Madison’s network of support for technology transfer.

Supporting measures: Patents and Licensing

Accelerate Internationalization

UW–Madison plays a national leadership role in area and international studies programs. The U.S. Department of Education recently awarded these programs nearly $4 million per year for the next four years in what is a highly regarded grant competition. federal Title VI grants make it possible for the university to prepare students for the global economy and to reach out to K–16 teachers, government and business leaders, and the public to explore the world around us.

Clearly, UW–Madison recognizes the importance of fostering global connections. The College of Engineering has established an international engineering certificate program. A new Global Legal Studies Initiative, co-sponsored by the Division of International Studies and the Law School, has hosted workshops with participants from throughout the world. The School of Education added a global perspectives component to the liberal studies requirement for its students.

Research activities also point toward global issues. A new Center for Global Health was established by the schools of Medicine and Public Health, Nursing, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine, and the Division of International Studies to support education and research around the world. Two grants and matching institutional funds have given a boost to the campus’s graduate study and research in global sustainability.

Supporting measures: Students Studying Abroad

Nurture Human Resources

STUDENTS
PEOPLE, a college-preparation program initiated in 1998 for promising middle school and high school students from culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, now has 1,045 enrolled students. Administered by the School of Education, PEOPLE recently expanded into elementary grades. In May 2006, five students who had completed PEOPLE received bachelor’s degrees from UW-Madison. For fall 2006, 177 program graduates are enrolled at UW–Madison.

Thanks to the Legal Education Opportunities Program and other recruitment efforts at the Law School, students of color now number more than 25 percent of the student body. Of students enrolled in the professional program at the School of Pharmacy, nearly 20 percent are students of color. The College of Letters and Science increased initiatives to recruit and retain graduate students of color.

A number of activities helped the campus and the community explore differences. Through the International Reach program, for example, international students gave presentations to more than 3,400 people. The fraternity/ sorority community offered educational opportunities covering LGBT issues, African-American history and heritage, women’s issues and sexual violence.

To enhance outreach to Spanish-speaking students and parents, the Office of Student Financial Services offered presentations in both English and Spanish at high schools and community events.

EMPLOYEES
Faculty and staff took advantage of enrichment and professional development opportunities in record numbers during the past year; more than 15,700 participants attended these events, up 65 percent from the previous year. A new Creating Community campaign is encouraging faculty, staff and students to foster diversity in everyday interactions and to participate in diversity forums and workshops. In an effort to improve the workplace experience, a new program has provided nearly 2,500 hours of direct service during the past year to current and prospective employees who have limited proficiency in English. The annual Showcase event drew more than 300 attendees, and 50 academic and administrative units presented case studies of best practices aimed at improving services and increasing efficiency. The Women in Science & Engineering Leadership Institute has provided almost $800,000 in support to grantees whose research productivity was directly affected by personal life events at critical junctures in their careers. This Vilas Life Cycle Professorship program is recognized as a national model.

Supporting measures:  Minority Students as a Percentage of Fall Enrollment  |  Minorities as a Percentage of Faculty and Staff  |  Faculty-Staff Participation in Professional Development

This report and corresponding data is also available for download in PDF format.

For more information about the Strategic Plan, contact the Office of Quality Improvement, quality@oqi.wisc.edu, 262-6843.

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