A Message from the Chancellor
With this campaign, Milwaukee’s public research university seeks a new role as the leading transformational force in the city’s future.
The fortunes of Milwaukee and UWM are more closely tied than ever before. Southeast Wisconsin, the population center of the state, must make a successful transition to the knowledge economy; business as usual isn’t an option. Today, there is a new sense of shared purpose among leaders from every sector — and a growing consensus that if southeast Wisconsin is to control its own destiny, UWM must be at the forefront of this charge.
That’s why UWM has set such an ambitious goal for this philanthropic initiative: $100 million in private support to grow our research enterprise into an economic engine and expand access to more students of all backgrounds and means.
Our goal reflects an exciting vision — as well as the realities of state and federal funding for public institutions of higher education. UWM, like almost every state university in the nation, can no longer rely on public dollars to underwrite our future. We must act now to grow our research enterprise and produce more college graduates. Our competitive edge — both the University’s and Milwaukee’s — depends on our ability to do so.
The good news is that we have a strong foundation to build on. UWM is a prime contributor to everything that makes people want to call Milwaukee home — from innovative city planning to a diverse arts scene. The five CEOs who have graciously agreed to lead this campaign all credit the University for their professional trajectory. They’re among the nearly 75 percent of our alumni who remain in Wisconsin after graduation, and who speak with newfound pride about their alma mater.
Goal 1: Expanding the horizon of knowledge and the local economy through research. A thriving research enterprise advances the fortunes of both UWM and Milwaukee on many fronts. Research is a solution for economic development and a powerful catalyst for growth. Research is also a magnet for talent, investment, and jobs. Its effects are felt in public schools and downtown business districts. Research-driven cities are vibrant places.
Building our research initiative is a challenging undertaking. It means becoming an entrepreneurial institution — and as every entrepreneur knows, this demands a willingness to own, launch, manage, and assume the risks of our ventures. But we believe that with the right infrastructure and support, UWM will help make Milwaukee a hub of economic activity and prosperity.
Goal 2: Ensuring access and opportunity through scholarship support. UWM is proud to be Wisconsin’s campus of opportunity. We enroll more Wisconsin residents than any other public or private higher education institution in the state, including significant percentages of students of color. More than 60 percent of our students receive financial aid, a majority of whom come from low- to moderate-income households. Many are the first in their family to attend college.
But we want to do an even better job of helping young men and women go on to successful careers and lives. We firmly believe that the rewards of the knowledge economy can be within the reach of everyone, regardless of background. At the same time, fulfilling our research vision depends on our ability to produce an abundant, highly talented workforce. The campaign may build our research infrastructure, but human capital will sustain it.
That’s why scholarships at the undergraduate level and fellowships at the graduate level are as essential to UWM’s future as new laboratories and technology. We know that scholarships maintain diversity, bolster graduation rates, and combat the “brain drain” that occurs when our best and brightest students leave the region for college. Few other investments in life pay off so handsomely, or leave such an enduring legacy.
There is an old Spanish proverb I’m fond of: “To the daring, fortune will lend a hand.” I hope you will dare to share in our vision and join us in the Campaign for UWM. We’ve got something great in mind.
