State Relations

UW–Madison and the State
Graduate students present information about their research projects to legislators and staff during UWñMadison Day at the Capitol, a University of WisconsinñMadison advocacy and outreach event held at the Wisconsin State Capitol on April 27, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Miller / UWñMadison)

UW-Madison Day at the Capitol will be held on April 26, 2023.

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UW–Madison’s Office of State Relations builds relationships while developing and implementing strategies to advance the university’s priorities with the state legislature, the governor, state agencies and the people of Wisconsin.

We connect you to the latest campus and UW System news, resources about Wisconsin’s biennial (two-year) budget process, and engaging outreach programs that help spread the Wisconsin Idea across the state.

Meet the State Relations team.

Upcoming Activities

UW–Madison Day at the Capitol

Join us on April 26, 2023 for the annual UW–Madison Day at the Capitol highlights the amazing faculty, students, alumni and athletics at UW–Madison. Several events are held on this day, including the Graduate Research Showcase and Flash Talks with Faculty.
Learn more.

Budget Advocacy

The UW System budget supports continued excellence for UW–Madison. The State Budget Toolkit covers the basics of the upcoming state budget, including the process, requests from UW–Madison & UW System, details on how you can get involved, and other resources.
Learn more.

News

What We Do

Government Relations & Advocacy

The Office of State Relations serves as the point of contact for state government relations, including the governor’s office, state legislature and state agencies. UW–Madison aims to share the work of the university in a variety of ways, including through the creation and implementation of statewide advocacy efforts on behalf of the university. State Relations leads campus advocacy and lobbying efforts around the state budget and higher education legislation in the Wisconsin State Legislature.

Outreach

State Relations brings the impact of UW–Madison closer to our partners across Wisconsin through research presentations, roundtables, community visits and more. In addition to supporting the university as public citizens, many UW–Madison researchers, faculty and staff also help bolster the image of the university through outreach. Each day, members of our campus community extend the knowledge, expertise, and resources of the institution through outreach activities held throughout the state.

See our work on campus and across Wisconsin in the Outreach Gallery.

UW Connects

UW Connects helps spread the Wisconsin Idea across the state through outreach programs that connect the campus community with residents, schools, businesses and community leaders.

  • Badger Talks shares the latest UW–Madison discoveries and engages residents throughout Wisconsin in their own communities, on topics they care about.
  • Bucky’s Classroom provides teachers, students and educational leaders with UW–Madison classroom resources, as well as an opportunity to directly engage with university students about pre-college preparedness, college access and career exploration.
  • Badger Ambassadors helps UW students share their experiences through small and large presentations and events with organizations, groups, schools and businesses.

Learn more about UW Connects.

Can't Stop a Badger

UW continues to power the state’s economy through research and innovation, all while educating the next generation of leaders. We’ll never stop working to make Wisconsin — and the world — a better place.

17,719 Undergraduate Students from Wisconsin

6,062 Graduate Students from Wisconsin

1,013 Bucky’s Tuition Promise and Badger Promise Students

177,328 Total State Alumni