Curiously, throughout most of the program's history, they have not elected to do so. The program was protected and nurtured by powerful sponsors and funding partners through its formative years. UW System, the Lilly Endowment, the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, and the National Science Foundation all became highly visible partners in one way or another. The program invested its resources in the faculty , not in a bureaucratic structure, nor a large staff. Using volunteer labor for administration, the program put its money to work for the beneficiaries.
Programs designed around ideas are very vulnerable in their infancy.
During the program's first few years, the attacks on it were numerous and varied. They blustered and dragged their heels. The vice chancellor prodded them to acknowledge and support the program. The budget cutters wanted to reduce the level of investment, seeing an easy, faceless way to balance the budget. The chancellor would not listen.