Wisconsin Idea

The Wisconsin Idea refers both to the principle that the state’s university system should help people beyond those it serves directly and to a broader approach to politics stemming from the state’s role in the Progressive Era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As it relates to the university system, the Wisconsin Idea is said to have originated with former University of Wisconsin President Charles Van Hise at the beginning of the 20th century. An important aspect of the Wisconsin Idea is that it was written into the state constitution. It is considered one of the core values of the University of Wisconsin System, which is financed by the state of Wisconsin, although that financing has decreased significantly over the 20th and 21st ...