The Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education (WISCAPE) was established in 2001 on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus by former UW–Madison Chancellor David Ward.
[1] Ward envisioned the center as "a policy think tank, not just an academic think tank," that would promote cross-disciplinary research and scholarship on postsecondary education, enhance professional development for those working at colleges and universities, and engage the public in a dialogue about the role of postsecondary education in a democratic society.
[1] Local and national media have since highlighted the work of the center's staff, scholars, and affiliates on a variety of postsecondary education issues, including financial aid,[2] trends in state funding for postsecondary education,[3][4] returns to state investment in postsecondary education,[5] college student transfer issues,[6][7][8] community colleges,[9][10][11] de facto privatization of public universities,[12][13][14] gridlock in state policymaking,[15][16] the college presidency,[17] federal college cost containment measures,[18] and the Wisconsin Covenant.
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