“Walker’s top priority for higher education reform has been on helping Wisconsin students and working families to afford a great college education,” Patrick said. “Connecting students and workers with the skills needed in today’s workforce is an important economic development initiative.”

According to Patrick, the four-year freeze on in-state undergraduate tuition championed by Walker and the Legislature has saved students thousands of dollars, given the rate at which tuition costs had been rising at UW institutions. Walker has also worked with UW System officials to push for changes that reduce the time it takes students to get a degree, Patrick said.

Wisconsin’s technical colleges have traditionally focused on job training, Radomski said. But Walker has pushed the UW System to make preparing students for the workforce a higher priority, Radomski said, with less of an emphasis on research or broader undergraduate education.

“The governor’s goal for higher education is very narrow, and it also doesn’t stress a lot of the strengths of UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee,” Radomski said.

One case in which that philosophy was evident, Radomski said, was in the attempt by Walker’s administration to change the UW System’s mission.