A legislative study committee has been meeting since July to discuss UW System’s enrollment and budget challenges. The committee met for last time last month and voted on 19 proposed recommendations, and the results of their votes were made public on Thursday. Our statement on their action is here:
Voting Information for Students
PROFS shared the message and slides below with its membership earlier this week. We encourage all faculty to take a few minutes in class to ensure students have accurate information about the process and requirements to vote in Wisconsin.
October Legislative Update
The update below was shared with senators and guests at the Faculty Senate meeting yesterday. The Senate meets in Room 272 Bascom Hall at 3:30 pm on the first Monday of the month, October-December and February-May.
September Board of Regents Meeting
The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents is meeting at UW-Parkside on Thursday and Friday, September 26 and 27. Registration to watch the open portions of the meetings is here. The Regents met informally at a welcome reception on Wednesday evening and will meet again at the inauguration of UW-Parkside Chancellor Lynn Akey on Thursday evening.
The Regents will be in committee meetings Thursday morning:
- The Audit Committee will hear updates on several reports.
- The Capital Planning & Budget Committee will consider approval of several agreements, leases, and building projects, including the sale of a UW-Madison parcel of vacant land, a lease agreement at 333 East Campus Mall at UW-Madison, and a building project to expand the Grainger Hall dining area.
- The Business & Finance Committee will consider changes to Regent policies relating to executive salaries and the hiring of the president, chancellors, vice chancellors, and UW System senior leadership positions, and hear a presentation from UW-Parkside on strategic operations and shared services.
- The Education Committee will hear a presentation from UW-Parkside on the arts and student success and have a discussion on continuing education and the UW Strategic Plan.
The Regents will meet in full session Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. On Thursday, they will hear a presentation from UW-Parkside Chancellor Lynn Akey and updates from UWs President Jay Rothman and Regent President Amy Bogost. They will also discuss the planning, approval, and review of the academic program array and present 2024 University Staff Excellence Awards.
Regents will meet in two separate closed sessions — one to discuss the dismissal with cause of former UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow and one to discuss potential litigation, the naming of a UW-Oshkosh facility, and chancellor performance evaluations.
August Board of Regents Meeting
The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents will meet tomorrow and Friday, August 22 and 23, in Van Hise Hall on the UW-Madison campus. Zoom links for the open meetings are available here.
The Regents will meet in committee Thursday morning:
- The Business & Finance Committee will hear several reports and consider approval of the proposed 2025-27 biennial budget request (below), two contractual agreements and two collective bargaining agreements.
- The Education Committee will hear an update on direct admission and consider approval of new degree programs at UW-Milwaukee, UW-Stout and UW-Superior, and an academic realignment proposal at UW-Oshkosh. The committee will also vote on UW-Milwaukee’s proposal to discontinue the College of General Studies and its three departments and layoff its faculty. The college and its faculty were located at UWM’s two two-year campuses in West Bend and Waukesha.
- The Audit Committee will hear two reports and a presentation on the risk treatment plan.
- The Capital Planning & Budget Committee will vote on the 2025-27 capital budget request. The request, $1.7 billion, covers projects large and small, including demolition and replacement of the Humanities Building and a new dormitory at UW-Madison.
The full board will meet Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.
On Thursday, the board will hear reports from incoming Regent President Amy Bogost, Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman, and the Wisconsin Technical Colleges Board. The board will also consider approval of committee action, including the biennial budget proposals, and recognize the service of Regent Emeritus Dana Wachs and UW-River Falls Chancellor Maria Gallo and Sean Nelson, UWs Vice President for Finance and Administration, who are both retiring in September.
The Regents will meet in closed session on Friday morning.
PROFS Urges Universities of Wisconsin Leadership to Support Gov. Evers’ Funding Request
Earlier today, PROFS sent a letter to Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and UW Board of Regents President Amy Blumenfeld Bogost encouraging them to support the $800 million biennial budget proposal that Governor Tony Evers shared with the board earlier this summer.
Our letter: