How the UW-Madison faculty benefit the state of Wisconsin

The UW and it's faculty bring pride to the state of Wisconsin
Wherever Wisconsinites travel in the United States and throughout the world, they meet people who are familiar with UW-Madison. People know that UW-Madison has and is continuing to make a major contribution to the world’s knowledge base, from the revolutionary Vitamin D research to the stem cell research which has recently brought the university worldwide acclaim.

UW-Madison faculty provide high quality education
UW-Madison students learn from and work alongside some of the world’s premier scholars. In a survey, more than 90 percent of UW-Madison students rated their professors good or better, with over half rating them excellent. With tuition the second-lowest in the Big Ten, a UW-Madison education is bargain. In fact, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine ranked UW-Madison the sixth best value among the nation’s top 100 public universities.

UW-Madison faculty bring federal and private funds to the state
UW-Madison ranks eighth among all of the nation’s colleges and universities (both public and private) in federal research and development expenditures and fifth in receipt of private funds. In fact, the university’s 2000-01 budget includes more than $600 million in federal and private funds, while receiving just under $400 million in state GPR funds. State officials have listed UW-Madison as one of the state’s "Success Stories" in securing federal funds. The faculty drive the state’s economy
UW-Madison’s economic impact on the State of Wisconsin is $3.7 billion annually. More than 175 companies, employing more than 7,000 people, have been spun off from campus research. And momentum for business growth is building, as an average of 13 companies have been formed from the research in each of the last five years.

The UW maintains top quality libraries that benefit the entire state
UW-Madison’s excellent libraries have played a vital role in the university’s success. In addition to the benefits they provide to UW-Madison students, faculty, and staff, the resources contained in UW-Madison’s libraries are used by campuses throughout the UW System and the K-12 education system as well. Sharing of library resources among UW System campuses saves at least $700,000 annually. Each year, the UW-Madison Electronic Library is queried more than seven million times and UW System libraries answer more than 50,000 requests from Wisconsin businesses, citizens, and communities.

The UW and it's faculty contribute to the quality of life in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Idea, the nearly 150-year-old partnership between the university and the state, is very much alive today. Recent examples of this commitment include Professor Donald Kettl’s chairmanship of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on State-Local Partnerships for the 21st Century, the La Follette School’s briefings for legislators and staff, and faculty members’ service on Legislative Council Special Study Committees.