The University of Wisconsin-Madison Launches $3.2 Billion Fundraising Campaign

The University of Wisconsin-Madison launched its most ambitious fundraising campaign ever on Thursday night, asking alumni and other supporters to step into the breach during a time of unprecedented pressure to cut costs and find fresh sources of revenue.

The $3.2 billion fund drive comes as the state's flagship public university grapples with an $86 million structural deficit in the wake of cuts in the 2015 to 2017 state budget. Academic units within UW-Madison will absorb nearly $23 million in cuts over the next two years, while administrative units are expected to absorb about $9 million. Additional cuts are expected but have not been decided.

Public universities across the country are in a similar squeeze.