Public opinion matters for the administration of public higher education. Yet, we know little about how members of the public conceptualize these institutions in general, and UW-Madison in particular. This study investigates how Wisconsinites think about UWMadison through investigations of conversations regularly occurring among 36 groups sampled from 27 communities statewide. It reveals a pervasive sense of distance from UW-Madison that is part of a broader sense of disconnection from institutions of authority. The implication is that positive relationships between UW-Madison and the mass public will require innovative means of listening and relationship building. Appended are: (1) Descriptions of Groups Observed and Municipalities In Which They Met; and (2) Listening Investigations Protocol. (Contains 13 endnotes.)