My challenge as a chancellor is, ‘How do you make good on your mission? How do you make sure this generation of students has a better opportunity for education than any of us benefited from?’ We have to invite partners in who have resources and that those partners also get a return on sharing those resources with us.James Schmidt, Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Podcast | Fiscal resiliency
Higher Ed Advisor: investing in your students and community through collaborative partnerships
Welcome to Higher Ed Advisor, the Baker Tilly podcast series where we speak with higher education industry leaders about practical and proactive guidance to help colleges and universities protect and enhance their value.
This podcast is the 17th episode in our fiscal resiliency series for higher education institutions.
Colleges and universities are drawing up transformative ways to boost enrollment, support students and staff and attain fiscal sustainability as leaders face increasing pressures to “do more with less” in resource-constrained environments. Public private partnerships (P3s) are a revolutionary mechanism that can help institutions fund and deliver critical infrastructure to advance campus and community growth.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) Chancellor, James (Jim) Schmidt, and UWEC Foundation President, Kimera (Kim) Way, join us in this engaging episode to share valuable P3 insights and success stories of capital projects and partnerships UWEC navigated through to drive institutional innovation and community development. Hear about how these mutually beneficial arrangements propel the University in their quest to fulfill the institution and foundation goal of providing unparalleled academic opportunities to its students and capture the hearts and minds of the community. We also explore:
- How and why to align P3s with an institution’s strategic plan
- Importance of collaboration to improve economic development and institutional sustainability and positively influence overall P3 project outcomes
- Academic program enhancements as a result of transformational partnerships
- Challenges associated with P3s and key attributes, best practices and solutions to consider when embarking on a partnership to support student and community success
Plus, listen as we reveal how UWEC’s partnership with Mayo Clinic Health System is progressing educational, economic and social prosperity for the University, the City of Eau Claire and their constituents.
Higher Ed Advisor hosts
David Capitano
As the firm’s higher education practice leader, Dave Capitano provides oversight to more than 200 team members serving over 400 colleges, universities, research institutions and higher education systems across the United States.
Christine Smith
Christine Smith is a managing director in Baker Tilly’s higher education practice.
Meet this episode's guest speakers
- James Schmidt, Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
- Kimera Way, President, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation and Executive Director of University Advancement
It’s important to give funding to a community that's willing to bring disparate groups together and do something that's going to benefit a large part of your community.Kimera Way, President, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation
Additional resources
To learn how public-private partnerships can help your institution chart a path to fiscal sustainability and enhance student outcomes, contact our team.
Fiscal resiliency resources for higher education
Strategic insights to help colleges and universities gain fiscal resilience.
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