Sunny Skies (for you and me)

I had my first Food Cart meal in our new summer today. I sat on the concrete plateau in the Library Mall. Where else than Madison do you see such diversity? Food Carts from all over the world being enjoyed by a privileged white elite. Oh, and a few Asian students to boot.

I wish we had more diversity here - real diversity - but it's a fleeting dream. We've got most of the African American population over in Milwaukee. We've got most of the Hmong up North. We've got a budget built on the idea of securing more slots in Wisconsin's schools for "Native" Wisconsinites.

For those of you who are playing from home, be sure to note that "Native" means White.

There are some who are working towards a fair distribution in our institutions of higher education, and they should be applauded. Most in the State Senate and Assembly are working against this. Why?
1. Xenophobia. Asian students are invading our schools! Mexicans are marching across graduation stages! I think this is a pretty large component, but clearly the proponents of State-Based affirmative action (i.e. locking up our schools) would disagree with this assessment. I think it doesn't play into the logical elements of the debate, but it certainly comes in from the PR perspective. When someone doesn't get in to University, it's easy to point to that successful non-white and say,"They don't deserve it".
2. "Our Tax Dollars" argument. This argument is basically that since it is property tax payer's dollars going into the school system, they should receive its direct benefits. There are three problems with this argument:
a. The indirect benefits outweigh the costs, and everyone who pays property taxes receives the indirect benefits regardless of attendance. This argument is self-evident, although I'm sure we could provide economic data in support of this claim. It's simple: Universities are economic engines, and their graduates are as well. When a University prospers, especially a research university, then the entire area prospers. Look at the area around the Madison campus. Prosperity comes from investment, and we all benefit from the investment in our Universities.
b. Locking up the University by increasing the weight on "native" Wisconsinites decreases the quality of the University by driving down the quality of students. This decreases the return on investment (ROI) of any dollar spent in the UW.
c. Even if we were to increase the amount of students from Wisconsin who attend a University system school, we would not cover all of the students in Wisconsin.

Note - I'm not arguing for Affirmative Action; that's a different subject, for a different time. I'm arguing for a merit-based acceptance system that values performance and diversity of experience rather than payment, state residency, citizenship, or race.


What I am arguing for is the following:
1. More tuition reciprocity, starting with neighboring states and other big-name research institutions.
2. More joint projects with other research institutions in the United States and abroad using advanced communication technology.
3. An expansion of the merit-based process of admissions which values Wisconsin High School Graduates but allows more students from outside of Wisconsin.
4. The continuation of programs which attract a wide range of scholars in different fields.
5. The expansion of the Alumni fund to provide for the University during political crises (an insurance policy against bureaucratic sabotage).
6. Foster outreach to primary schools throughout Wisconsin using technology to enhance k-12 education.

What do you think we need to do to keep the University in the 21st century and make it a more diverse institution? Or are we already there?