Madison, Wis. – To the casual visitor and even some insiders, the University of Wisconsin-Madison doesn’t seem like an institution under pressure. Construction cranes rise above the 933-acre campus, where a combination of gleaming new buildings and refurbished landmarks leave the impression that all is well within sight of Bascom Hill.
Appearances can be deceiving. Behind the hustle and bustle that characterizes Wisconsin’s largest and oldest public university are signs of strain – not unlike those that also shadow other major research universities, but nonetheless troubling.