Blank: UW-Madison needs to emphasize fundraising

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The woman selected as the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s next chancellor says her top priorities will include a strong emphasis on fundraising.

Acting U.S. Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank will be the university’s next chancellor, subject to approval by the Board of Regents in two weeks.

Blank told reporters on a conference call Friday the school needs to launch a major fundraising campaign. She says she’ll work closely with school and alumni foundations to figure out the best way to reach potential donors.

Blank says improved fundraising could help keep tuitions low and allow the school to offer professors more competitive salaries. She says she’d also like to re-examine out-of-state tuitions, which bring in more money but have to remain low enough that out-of-state students don’t go elsewhere.