'We have to invest': Universities of Wisconsin president defends spending $480,000 on name, logo changes

 

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The president of Wisconsin's university system defended a decision to spend nearly half a million dollars on a rebranding effort that changed the name and look of the state's public universities.

The University of Wisconsin System announced Tuesday it is rebranding itself as 'The Universities of Wisconsin.' The transition should be fully complete by early 2024.

A spokesperson for the Universities of Wisconsin told CBS 58 the system paid a total of $480,000 to Milwaukee-based consulting and marketing firms, Baker Tilly and BVK. 

In an interview with CBS 58 Wednesday, Universities President Jay Rothman defended the rebranding initiative, which came during a state budget cycle where the Republican-controlled legislature cut the system's funding by $32 million; that is the amount GOP leaders estimate the universities were spending on positions related to diversity, equity and inclusion, commonly referred to as DEI.

"It's important because we always have to invest. If Wisconsin is gonna win the war for talent, we have to invest in that endeavor," Rothman said. "And this is strategically focused on doing precisely that."

Rothman said the goal of the rebrand is to make the system's 13 campuses more enticing to prospective students. He said the Universities hope the new look will help boost the number of systemwide graduates from 37,000 per year to 41,000.

Rothman added such an increase would make a significant impact on the state's workforce, widening the pipeline of Wisconsin students who stick around as they become young professionals.

"We don't have enough engineers and nurses and other healthcare providers and teachers and data scientists and businesspeople," Rothman said. "That list goes on and on."

As for how a name and logo change help accomplish that mission, Rothman said the new branding puts the emphasis on the campuses as opposed to the system.

Brian Till, a marketing professor at Marquette University, said he believed the reasoning was sound.

"'Universities of Wisconsin' feels like it's a more natural statement of what they are than 'UW System.' A system can sound a little bureaucratic," Till said.

But is nearly $500,000 really necessary to rebrand the university system? Till said such an effort takes more work than one might think.

"Any good branding project is going to be built on a foundation of research," he said. "And that means talking to various constituents: current students, future students, faculty, staff, alumni."

The Universities of Wisconsin spokesperson said the scope of work with the two firms included research, as well as brand presentations, strategic counsel, the logo redesign and creative services, such as video production. 

Legislative leaders' response to the rebrand was divided Wednesday.

State Rep. Dave Murphy (R-Greenville), who chairs the Assembly committee on colleges and universities, told CBS 58 by phone he didn't think $480,000 was overly expensive for a systemwide endeavor. Murphy added as long as the rebrand was "well-executed," he'd be fine with the expenditure.

However, State Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield), who chairs the Senate committee on universities and revenue, said he was skeptical of the effort.

"It is unfortunate the UW System chose to be distracted and spent half a million dollars on symbolism over substance," Hutton said in a statement.

Budget battle over DEI ongoing

Rothman defended the Universities' emphasis on DEI, and he said the system's definition of the term was broader than critics suggest.

"We're talking about, certainly underrepresented [racial and ethnic] groups, but we're talking about veterans. We're talking about disabled students, we're talking about first-generation students," Rothman said.

Rothman added he was optimistic the system could still convince the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee to release the $32 million the legislature is withholding in a supplemental account.

Rothman said the Universities planned to deliver a presentation to lawmakers later this fall making the case for that money to be released. 

The DEI issue is also at the heart of GOP leaders blocking a budgeted pay raise for all state workers. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate President Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) have yet to formally approve the raises; Vos has said it's because he wants the system to commit to defunding its DEI positions.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' spokesperson, Britt Cudaback, told the Associated Press last month it amounted to Republicans "playing political games" with workers' livelihoods.

"It's ridiculous, it's wrong-headed, and it's clear Republicans are completely out of touch with the very real and pressing workforce challenges facing our state," Cudaback said.