Reading the news about UW-Madison can be a little like a bad case of whiplash. On the one hand, tuition hikes, cuts in state funding and a chancellor worried about “resizing” staff and reallocating resources suggests a university struggling financially to fulfill its core educational mission. On the other, a campus building boom including projects such as the $43 million Chazen Museum of Art addition and salaries for top coaches that stretch into the seven figures suggest an institution rolling in dough.
Darrell Bazzell, university vice chancellor for administration, said there’s a common misunderstanding among the public about where money for the university comes from and what it can be used for.