Katharine C. Lyall, President, University of Wisconsin System

In recent days there has been a fair amount of news coverage regarding the increase in applications to the University of Wisconsin System. There have also been some misperceptions about how our campuses are managing the enrollment process.

Allow me to provide some background and context for this situation.

The UW System is preparing for what could be a significant reduction in funding as part of Wisconsin's budget-balancing efforts. This comes at a time when state support for each UW student is more than $1,000 below the national average.

I have advised our campuses to manage their admissions for next fall so as not to exceed their current enrollment levels, which are at an all-time high. No specific reductions in enrollment have been made, but applications are running at a pace almost 25 percent higher than last year, so competition for admission is tighter.

This past year, the UW System struggled to manage a large volume of applications without knowing what kind of budget cut it would receive from the state. As it turned out, the UW System took a $44 million cut this year, while our enrollments actually grew by 2,600 students.

The Board of Regents postponed admissions for a short time last spring to help manage this process during a time of great budget uncertainty. While some viewed that decision purely through a political lens, it was a responsible effort to ensure that the students we admitted would have instructors and courses to pursue their programs in a timely fashion.

UW institutions are stretched to the limit to provide places for 33 percent of all Wisconsin high school graduates, one of the highest rates of access in the country. Most state university systems enroll about 22 percent of their high school graduates.

We believe passionately that high access translates into a brighter economic future for Wisconsin, and I am convinced that most of our legislators and Gov.-elect Doyle agree. As Wisconsin strives to manage its budget, the UW System will work with our lawmakers to manage opportunity, access and affordability for our state and its future.

For more information and regular updates on our budget situation, visit our news and events website at http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/.