Land records modernization: Centers of excellence from a Wisconsin perspective

Abstract

Faculty representing a variety of disciplines at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are planning for the establishment of a center of excellence in land information science, for the purpose of providing a program that develops scholars and professionals, as recommended in a recent report of the National Research Council. They have begun by identifying an interdisciplinary graduate program focused upon education, training, and research required for the development and implementation of large-scale, multipurpose land information systems within the Public Land Survey states. These discussions have identified (a) five reasons to support the concept of centers of excellence in land information studies; (b) five components that are important, if not essential, to the development of a center; and (c) three types of resources at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, including the academic resources of seven departments, institutes, or centers offering instruction in 45 existing courses that are central to or supportive of philosophical and theoretical as well as the technical and application aspects of land records modernization; seven facilities that could provide source materials, research, and technical assistance; and three institutional cooperators. This paper reviews why centers of excellence are needed now, outlines components such a center should include, and discuss current efforts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that support the center of excellence concept.