Chapter 36 — UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM

36.01 Statement of purpose and mission. (1) The legislature finds it in the public interest to provide a system of higher education which enables students of all ages, backgrounds and levels of income to participate in the search for knowledge and individual development; which st…

36.03 System. There is created in this state a system of institutions of learning to be known as the University of Wisconsin System. The principal office and one university of the system shall be located at or near the seat of state government. History: 1973 c. 335.

36.05 Definitions. In this chapter: (1) “Academic staff” means professional and administrative personnel with duties, and subject to types of appointments, that 36.34 36.35 36.36 36.37 36.40 36.43 36.44 36.45 36.48 36.49 36.51 36.52 36.55 36.56 36.58 36.585 36.59 36.60 36.61 36.6…

36.07 Corporate title, officers, meetings, records. (1) CORPORATE STATUS AND TITLE. The board and their successors in office shall constitute a body corporate by the name of “Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System”. (2) SECRETARY. The board shall appoint a secreta…

36.09 Responsibilities. (1) THE BOARD OF REGENTS. (a) The primary responsibility for governance of the system shall be vested in the board which shall enact policies and promulgate rules for governing the system, plan for the future needs of the state for university education, en…

36.11 Powers and duties of the board of regents. (1) PROTECTION OF PEOPLE; CUSTODY AND MANAGEMENT OF PROPERTY. (a) The board may promulgate rules under ch. 227 to protect the lives, health and safety of persons on property under its jurisdiction and to protect such property and t…

36.112 Performance funding; innovation fund. (1) DEFINITION. In this section, “institution” includes the extension. (2) GOALS; METRICS. (a) The legislature hereby establishes the following goals for the system: 1. Growing and ensuring student access. 2. Improving and excelling at…

36.115 Personnel systems. (1) In this section: (a) “Chancellor” means the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (b) “State specialists” means faculty or academic staff at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, University of WisconsinRiver Falls, University of Wisco…

36.12 Student discrimination prohibited. (1) No student may be denied admission to, participation in or the benefits of, or be discriminated against in any service, program, course or facility of the system or its institutions because of the student’s race, color, creed, religion…

36.14 Wisconsin distinguished professorships. (1) The board may establish distinguished professorships under this section. (2) The board may pay under this section the salary and fringe benefit costs of the professor holding the distinguished professorship and of any graduate ass…

36.15 Academic staff appointments. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Administrative appointment” means an academic staff appointment for a fixed or indefinite term granted to a system, campus, college, school or other divisional officer involved in policy development or exec…

36.17 Limited appointments. (1) An appointment to a position listed in sub. (2) shall be a limited appointment and the appointment shall be at the pleasure of the board. A faculty member who has been granted tenure or a person holding an academic staff appointment under s. 36.15 …

36.19 Other appointments. The board may make or authorize fixed term appointments for student assistants and employees in training, such as residents, interns, post-doctoral fellows or trainees or associates. Appointments made under this section shall not be subject to s. 36.15. …

36.21 Termination due to certain budget or program changes. Notwithstanding s. 36.15, the board may, with appropriate notice, terminate any faculty or academic staff appointment when such an action is deemed necessary due to a budget or program decision requiring program disconti…

36.22 Layoff or termination of faculty member due to certain budget or program changes. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Layoff” means an indefinite suspension or involuntary reduction in services and compensation of a faculty member’s employment by the system. (b) “Program…

36.23 Conflict of interest. No regent or officer or other person appointed or employed in any position in the system may at any time act as agent for any person or organization where such act would create a conflict of interest with the terms of the person’s service in the system…

36.27 Tuition. (1) BOARD OF REGENTS TO ESTABLISH. (a) Subject to par. (b), the board may establish for different classes of students differing tuition and fees incidental to enrollment in educational programs or use of facilities in the system. Except as otherwise provided in thi…

36.29 Gifts; golf course. (1) All gifts, grants, and bequests for the benefit or advantage of the system or any of its institutions, departments, or facilities or to provide any means of instruction, illustration, or knowledge in connection therewith, whether made to trustees or …

36.30 Sick leave. Leave of absence for employees with pay, owing to sickness, shall be regulated by rules of the board, except that unused sick leave shall accumulate from year to year. History: 1975 c. 88; 1981 c. 96 ss. 22, 67; 1981 c. 386; 1997 a. 237; 2011 a. 32; 2013 a. 20 s…

36.31 Coordination with other educational agencies; credit for military education. (1) The board shall not, without the approval of the technical college system board, broaden the system’s post-high school training mission to include the preparation of persons for semiprofessiona…

36.32 Student identification numbers. (1) In this section, “institution of higher education” means an institution within the system or a private educational institution located in this state that awards a bachelor’s or higher degree or provides a program that is acceptable toward…

36.33 Agricultural lands. (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT. The legislature finds and determines that, because of the problems resulting from the development of cities, villages, towns, and counties around certain agricultural lands of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the desirability …

36.335 Sale of other land; buildings and structures. If the board sells any real property under its jurisdiction, the board shall credit the net proceeds of the sale to the appropriation account under s. 20.285 (1) (gb) except that if there is any outstanding public debt used to …

36.36 Grants for study abroad. The board may award a grant of up to $2,000 to a resident undergraduate student to assist in paying the costs associated with the student’s study abroad if the student satisfies all of the following criteria: (1) The student demonstrates financial n…

36.37 Downer Woods and buildings preservation. (1) STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. The purpose of this section is to promote the permanent conservation and enhancement, by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, of the area known as Downer Woods; to designate and protect, as a permanent con…

36.40 Use of animals for research purposes. The board shall adopt criteria for researchers to follow regarding humane treatment of animals for scientific research purposes. History: 1983 a. 27.

36.43 Accommodation of religious beliefs. The board shall promulgate rules providing for the reasonable accommodation of a student’s sincerely held religious beliefs with regard to all examinations and other academic requirements. The rules shall include all of the following: (1)…

36.44 License plate scholarship programs. The board shall establish a scholarship program at each of the institutions specified in s. 341.14 (6r) (f) 35. to 47. The program at each institution shall be funded by the fees collected under s. 341.14 (6r) (b) 4. for that institution …

36.45 Research funding. (3) By September 1, 1992, and biennially thereafter by September 1, the board shall report to the governor and the joint committee on finance the purpose, duration, cost and anticipated completion date of all research and pub- May 22, 2026, are designated …

36.48 Alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and intervention programs. The board shall appoint alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and intervention program counselors for the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The counselors shall dev…

36.49 Environmental program grants and scholarships; Wisconsin Merit scholarships. From the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (rm), the board shall annually do the following: (1) Make need-based grants totaling $100,000 to students who are members of underrepresented groups and w…

36.51 Nutritional improvement for elderly. (1) In this section: (a) “Authorized elderly person” means any resident of this state who is 60 years of age or older, and the spouse of any such person. (b) “Institution” includes any private institution of higher education. (2) Any col…

36.52 Reimbursement of pay supplements. Whenever moneys become available from the federal government to finance the cost of pay and related adjustments for employees of the system whose positions are wholly or partly funded from federal revenue under 7 USC 343 that have been paid…

36.55 Reporting employment harassment and discrimination claims. By September 1 of each even-numbered year, the president shall submit a report to the chief clerk of each house for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) that contains a description of each employment …

36.56 Grants for forestry cooperatives. (1) From the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (qm), the center for cooperatives under s. 36.11 (40) may award grants to persons to form forestry cooperatives under ch. 185 or 193 that consist primarily of private, nonindustrial owners of w…

36.58 Veterinary diagnostic laboratory. (1) DUTIES OF THE VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY BOARD. The veterinary diagnostic laboratory board shall do all of the following: (a) Prescribe policies for the operation of the veterinary diagnostic laboratory. (b) Develop biennial budge…

36.585 Telecommunications and information technology services. (1) In this section: (ag) “Interconnection” means linking with a third-party network for the mutual exchange of traffic. (ar) “Telecommunications services” includes data and voice over Internet protocol services, Inte…

36.59 Information technology. (1) STRATEGIC PLAN. (a) The Board of Regents shall require the system and each institution and college campus to adopt and submit to the board, in a form specified by the board, no later than March 1 of each year, a strategic plan for the utilization…

36.60 Physician and dentist loan assistance program. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26) 33 Updated 23-24 Wis. Stats. (ac) “Clinic hours” means hours spent working with patients in a clinic. (ad) “Dental health shortage are…

36.61 Health care provider loan assistance program. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (ac) “Clinic hours” has the meaning given in s. 36.60 (1) (ac). (ad) “Council” means the rural health development council. (ag) “Dental health shortage area” has the meaning given in s. 36.60 (1…

36.62 Rural health development council. The rural health development council created under s. 15.917 (1) shall do all of the following: (1) Advise the board on matters related to the physician and dentist loan assistance program under s. 36.60 and the health care provider loan as…

36.63 Rural physician residency assistance program. (1) In this section: (a) “Department” means the department of family medicine in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. (b) “Physician” means a physician, as defined in s. 448.01 (5), who specializes i…

36.64 Office of educational opportunity. (1) The board shall create the office of educational opportunity within the system. (2) The office of educational opportunity shall evaluate proposals for contracts under s. 118.40 (2x), monitor pupil academic performance at charter school…

36.65 Annual reports. (1) DEFINITION. In this section, “chancellor” means the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (2) REPORTS. Annually, the board and the chancellor shall each submit an accountability report to the governor and to the legislature under s. 13.172 (…

36.66 Grants to meet emergency financial need. (1) In this section: (a) “Eligible student” means a student enrolled in an institution whose financial need meets the eligibility criteria for a grant from the Federal Pell Grant Program. (b) “Financial emergency” means an unplanned …

36.68 The Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: 38 (a) “Board” means the public leadership board. (b) “Center” means the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership. (2) MISSION. There is created at the University of WisconsinMadison t…