Donor State
Sen. Luther Olsen said his fear is that Wisconsin is becoming a "donor state" where taxpayers dollars are dedicated to higher education, but graduates leave the state for greener pastures because there aren't good jobs here.
He said the UW System's "Growth Agenda" doesn't do "nearly enough" to make the state appealing to grads. "If the university system doesn't help those people find jobs, you're going to drive us into bankruptcy - faster than we are going now."
Board of Regents President Walsh said Olsen has put his finger on the issue, but said the problem isn't that Wisconsin loses its college grads, it's that Wisconsin doesn't attract out-of-state grads. He said the elements are in place to create jobs in UW campus towns across the state, and cited the UW Research Park as an example of how the university can enhance the job base.
Labels: Growth Agenda, Olsen, Walsh
