The UW System Board of Regents stressed the importance of higher education’s role in economic recovery on the state level at their meeting Thursday.

University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly showcased the core goals of the UW System’s Growth Agenda plan for economic recovery and renewal, which includes generating more jobs and more graduates.

“We know that, simply put, great education equals greater wealth,” Reilly said. “I think we know people who have no post secondary education do not lead productive or comfortable lives.”

Reilly said there are two noticeable demographics in the state of Wisconsin that are “under credentialed;” students who are ethnic minorities and students aging 25-34.

In order for the students to be able to compete for jobs in the economy, Reilly said a degree is necessary and having a competitive workforce is critical.

He added it is important for the UW System to create more degrees, but without sustaining jobs available in the market, it makes no sense to generate more degree programs.

A “Jobs Task Force” under UW System has emphasized critical elements to developing sustaining jobs for UW graduates, including attracting talent, finding jobs that complement the talent and fostering an entrepreneurial culture.

He added he hopes to create new jobs, without forgetting the old.

“We recognize our role in this regard is not just creating jobs, but helping our traditional industries and developing the latest techniques to be competitive in those realms,” Reilly said.

Hopes are high that more graduates and jobs in the Growth Agenda will benefit the state of Wisconsin as a whole. Because of this, Reilly emphasized the importance of pressing the state Legislature to pass the UW System biennium budget for 2011-13.

“We are a public institution and we have a public purpose,” Reilly said.

Regent Charles Pruitt said advocacy at the state level is important while the regents develop their budget, which will be adopted in August 2010.

Another project Reilly highlighted is a committee, primarily made up of people who operate outside the UW System, to closely look at its salary gap of faculty and staff.

While the committee has not officially been formed, Pruitt said the committee will not only evaluate the salaries of those in UW Systems, but also compare them to salaries of faculty from other comparable universities.

Pruitt said while there is currently no data to suggest the salary gap is affecting universities, he hopes the committee will help the UW System maintain its best faculty.

The regents also heard UW-Eau Claire’s BluGold Commitment differential tuition proposal, which is a $1,200 increase in tuition phased in over four years.

Adam Sorelle, member of UW-Eau Claire’s student government and one of the students who presented the proposal to the Regents, said that approval remains unclear and the Regents wanted more details from the proposal than could be provided.

Sorell said if the BluGold Commitment is passed, it would go before the regents in May 2010 for a “check-up” on their services and exact line item details.

The Board of Regents will meet today to decide on the various proposals brought up at Thursday’s meeting.