Lyall's legacy is visible statewide
10:19 PM 2/05/04

katharine Lyall spent more than 10 years on the hot seat of higher education, battling underappreciative lawmakers and placating oversensitive faculty - and all the while, relentlessly promoting the university as an engine of economic development. <

Lyall, UW System president since 1992 and the Lyallfirst woman to hold the post, said this week she will retire later this year. And who would blame her? It's been one of the UW System's toughest years ever. Lyall unsuccessfully jousted with state government over a quarter-billion dollars' worth of higher education funding cuts and fended off conflict-of-interest accusations over her involvement with several corporate boards. Then her bosses, the 17-member Board of Regents, got scalded over secret telephone meetings, including one used to raise pay scales for top UW executives. <

But Lyall isn't throwing in the towel. She's thinking ahead, as usual: This year is a natural and sensible time for a transition in leadership as the UW System puts the wraps on a long-term strategic plan. <

Lyall has been an effective leader who put the university back in touch with the state residents who pay an ever-diminishing share of its costs. Lyall tightened links between the university, the public and business. She tirelessly worked to bring university resources to bear on improving Wisconsin economic health. And she guided the system through budget cut after budget cut without denying entrance to Wisconsin high school graduates. <

Such deft and agile leadership would be admirable in any chief executive, much less the head of a decentralized university system operating in 26 locations and serving 160,000 students. <

Lyall is right, as always, that the UW System is ready for fresh leadership. But the regents will be hard-pressed to find someone able to balance the competing demands of students, businesses and taxpayers as well as Lyall did over her 13-year tenure. <