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Our
future demands that Growth Agenda be No. 1 on Nov. 7
Greetings from Green Bay’s University of Wisconsin!
It’s that time of year when our campus is full of life and bustling
with activity. We’re one month into the fall semester, and our students
are doing their best to keep pace with hectic schedules in and out of
the classroom.
It’s also one of the most beautiful times of the year across Northeastern
Wisconsin, but especially on the UW-Green Bay campus. The fall colors
give a gleam to the most scenic college campus in Wisconsin.
As a political scientist, I look forward to this time of year for another
reason: The many highly competitive political races get my juices flowing
and have me looking forward to Election Day with great anticipation.
To all candidates whose names are on the ballot Nov. 7 (and also those
who competed in the Sept. 12 primaries), I say “thank you”
for enabling our representative democracy to truly reach its potential.
This can only happen through the efforts of such committed citizens.
The elections this fall are crucial to the future of UW-Green Bay and
Northeastern Wisconsin. This is a time when we must cement the political
support for a plan to grow UW-Green Bay so it can meet the needs of our
vibrant, dynamic region.
Regular readers of Chancellor’s FYI are familiar with this plan,
which has been appropriately named Northeastern Wisconsin’s Growth
Agenda. It is driven by the economic and demographic transition taking
place in our region and by the growing demand for a UW-Green Bay education.
It will provide over the next few years the additional resources needed
to increase our enrollment by 2,000 students.
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As a discussion item, our non-partisan cause has attracted bi-partisan
support. Now it's time for all those who believe deeply in our region's
Growth Agenda to lock in the political will to make it happen.
We
know we have a strong case for growth, a case our community’s leaders
have made effectively time and time again. They first did so in April
when the UW System Board of Regents visited our campus. The Regents responded
by calling the community presentation one of the best they had ever heard
about the value of a UW campus to a community. Then, this summer, community
and business leaders sent letters of support for the Growth Agenda that,
again, deeply impressed the Regents.
Consider just a few facts about the case our community leaders are making.
If our region were a state, our percentage of college graduates (18.8
percent) would place us 49th out of 50. And while Green Bay is the third
largest metropolitan area in Wisconsin, its university is the third smallest
in the UW System even in the face of ever-expanding regional demand.
Having the facts on our side and stating our case in a clear, succinct
manner is just a start. The next step is to develop the political will
to make the Growth Agenda happen.
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