ABSTRACT
The University and state are in a period of transition of understanding how they might best work together for the mutual benefit of the state. A main theme among the more hostile group of legislators was that the university remains an "ivory tower" and is elitist in attitude. The Ohio case demonstrated how a weak governance system can have a detrimental effect on the financial health of the research university. It is because of the university's decentralized approach to outreach that the university is struggling to effectively provide a holistic message toward support for the institution at-large. As a high tax state, Wisconsin also provides high services which include higher education. Higher education clearly stands behind the Governor's priorities of K-12 refinancing, property tax relief, and corrections. Perceptions of UW-Madison among legislators vary considerably. While the aforementioned criticisms of UW-Madison prevail, most interviewees concurred there is an enormous public affection for the institution.
