Monday, February 28, 2011  Freeing or flogging flagships  As a
denizen of big state schools, most of whom would be considered
Flagship Institutions (and don't you forget to capitalize those,
sir!), I am increasingly interested in two warring approaches to
these venerable schools.  On one side, we have the Biddy
Martin/U Michigan/screw-the-system approach: one that says that,
as much is expected of the Flagship U (in terms of research
dollars, educating many undergrad and graduate students, and
contributing to the well-being of the state economy), much
should be given to these behemoths in the way of independence
and autonomy. Martin's bid to create the University of Wisconsin
at Madison as a new kind of governmental entity, separate from
the rest of the UW system and the Board of Regents, is seen as a
slap in the face by the rest of the UW schools and the Board.
But one can understand both Martin's argument and Gov. Walker's
interest in setting the campus free (and further reducing state
financial contributio