The University of Wisconsin-Superior annually brings $41.2 million and 785 full- or part-time jobs to Douglas County, according to a UW-Superior Foundation study released this week.
"Economic Impact Study: UW-Superior and the Local Economy" was compiled by UWS economics professor Robert Beam, student researchers and co-authors Grant McDonough, Brian Fennessey, Shawn Mjelde and Roger Lederer. The full study can be accessed online at www.uwsuper.edu/news .
Other UW campuses have conducted their own economic impact studies, Beam said.
"They all feel a need to justify in some ways how the taxpayer dollars are being used in the area," Beam said. "I think we just wanted to get on board with our own."
Researchers surveyed UWS students and staff members about their spending habits and visitors. Then they asked the key question: Would they stay in the Douglas County area if UWS did not exist? About 44 percent of students said they'd leave.
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The researchers took the percentage of students and staff members who would leave the area and multiplied that by their spending in the county to arrive at the economic impact of staff and students, Beam said.
The researchers were surprised by how open Superior's economy is to Minnesota, Beam said.
About 50 percent of UWS students and a quarter of UWS staff members live in Minnesota. It makes sense they would do most of their spending where they live, Beam said.
Even with the close proximity of Minnesota, UWS is a significant part of the Douglas County economy, he said
Four percent of income and 4 percent of jobs in the county are tied to UWS, he said.
"If that amount left the economy, it would make a noticeable impact," he said.
Businesses in the county do not see a large increase in sales during the school year. Although businesses who responded said 76 percent of their customers are in the Twin Ports, they estimate only about $4 out of $100 in sales come from purchases made by UWS staff and students, indicating UWS does not have a significant effect on their businesses, according to the study.
Of the businesses that responded to the survey, only 26 percent have participated in a UWS job fair and only 11 percent have hired UWS interns.
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The study suggests the university strengthen its relationship with area businesses by improving its internship opportunities and forming an advisory planning council to bring together businesses, students, faculty members and administrators.
The business portion of study may have been affected by the small number of businesses responding to the survey. Many businesses in Superior don't do business with the university because they produce raw materials for larger markets, Beam said.
The study shows the significance of UWS for the area and the Foundation board hopes it will inspire the UW System, state legislators, alumni and members of the community to continue supporting the university and its efforts, said Rick Thrasher, UW-Superior Foundation chairman.
Area residents already know the university's cultural and educational benefits, but they also need to understand its importance from a fiscal perspective, Thrasher said.
"I get kind of excited about what the university does for the community," he said.
