UW leader: Successor faces tough financial world

MADISON, WI (AP) — Outgoing University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly says his successor faces a tough financial environment.

Reilly told a pair of search committees on Friday that whoever wins his job will have to grapple with bolstering enrollment, rising tuition and dwindling public support. He says colleges across the country face similar problems and no one has been able to manage them very well.

He also says the next president will have to deal with questions about whether college degree is worth the cost and perceptions that higher education is an insular world, overpriced world.

Reilly decided to resign in July. The announcement came after Republican legislators lambasted system officials for building massive reserves while raising tuition.

The Board of Regents wants to name Reilly’s replacement by mid-January.