Immediately after University of Wisconsin Chancellor Biddy Martin unveiled her Madison Initiative for Undergraduates, it was apparent the plan, though fundamentally sound, needed a bit of refining. There were many aspects of the proposal that needed to be clarified to students and many more that needed justification. After a month, though the initiative hasnâ??t been completely fleshed out, we believe the argument has been sufficiently well-made and that the initiative is a necessary step for UW to not only maintain but also to improve its standing in academia.
Although increasing tuition is always a touchy subject among students, Martin deserves credit for identifying the needs of the university and putting together a plan to address them. Even more so, she deserves credit for working to make this plan clear and acceptable to all parties involved. Although the list of administrators and alumni is impressive, Martinâ??s work to convince the general student body is what has been most important. After all, we are the ones who will foot the bill.