The Legislative Fiscal Bureau released its summary of Governor Tony Evers’ 2019-21 biennial budget (AB 56 and SB 59). Their summary of the University of Wisconsin portion of the budget is below.
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PROFS will host a forum to discuss Governor Tony Ever’s 2019-21 state budget proposal at noon, Tuesday, April 2 in Room 159 Education (1000 Bascom Mall) This event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served.
The panel includes:
The governor’s higher education budget includes increases of $44.7 million in FY20 and $66 million in FY21 and a 2% pay plan for UW System employees, including UW-Madison faculty. Additional details:
The state budget process is a months-long process that stretches into summer and often into autumn. The Joint Finance Committee and both houses of the Republican-led state legislature must approve the plan before it is returned to the governor for his vetoes and final approval.
Event cosponsors: The Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education (WISCAPE), Academic Staff Professionals Representation Organization (ASPRO), and the Wisconsin Alumni Association.
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet at UW-Madison’s Gordon Dining and Event Center Thursday, March 7. Livestream coverage of the meeting is here.
In the morning, the board will hear an update from UW System President Ray Cross and hear presentations on student success and faculty teaching, research and service. The regents will discuss the 2019-21 biennial budget and federal higher education issues in the afternoon.
2019-21 Biennial Budget
Governor Tony Evers introduced his state budget last week. The governor’s higher education budget includes increases of $44.7 million in FY20 and $66 million in FY21 and $40.4 million for a 2% pay plan for UW System employees, including UW-Madison faculty.
Additional details:
The state budget process is a months-long process that stretches into summer. The Joint Finance Committee and both houses of the state legislature must approve the plan before it is returned to the governor for his vetoes and final approval. PROFS has already begun meeting with members of the governor’s staff and key legislators to discuss items important to UW-Madison faculty.
State Budget Forum
PROFS, along with WISCAPE and the Wisconsin Alumni Association, is planning a campus forum on the state budget on April 2. More information coming soon.
Mark Cook Bill
Assembly Bill 38 and Senate Bill 42, dubbed the “Mark Cook bills,” were introduced last month. This bipartisan bill would streamline and strengthen the law governing contracts between the university and a private company or nonprofit group in which a faculty member has a financial interest. The PROFS Entrepreneurial Work Group developed this draft legislation which honors the late faculty member and entrepreneur who chaired the work group. Similar legislation was introduced last session and passed the Assembly but was not scheduled for a Senate vote.
PROFS president Dorothy Farrar Edwards will present the PROFS Annual Report for 2017-18 (below) to the Faculty Senate Monday, March 4. The senate meets in Room 272 Bascom Hall at 3:30 pm. A full agenda of the meeting is here.
Faculty senators and visitors are invited to join PROFS for refreshments in the rotunda area outside Room 272 Bascom Hall beginning at 3 pm.
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The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet in Madison Thursday and Friday, February 7 and 8. UW-Madison is hosting the meeting, which will be held in Varsity Hall at Union South, 1380 West Dayton Street. A webcast of the full board portions of the meeting is here.
Regents meeting in committee Thursday morning:
The Business and Finance Committee will review and consider approval of several graduate and non-resident tuition increases at nine UW System institutions. UW-Madison is not among the nine campuses with proposals. The committee will also hear several reports and presentations, including one from UW-Madison.
The Education Committee will consider approval of several charter school proposals and three new degree programs, including a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Health Equity at UW-Madison. UW-Madison Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf will provide an update to the committee on UW-Madison educational innovations.
The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will consider approval of two capital projects, including a remodeling project at UW-Madison’s DeLuca Biochemistry building, and a revision of evaluation criteria for major capital project requests. The committee will also hear an update from UW-Madison and a report on recent State Building Commission action.
The Research, Economic Development and Innovation Committee will hear an update from UW-Madison on UW2020 research and innovation grants and report from UW-Eau Claire on new partnerships created by the UW-Eau Claire Finance Department.
The Audit Committee will hear several reports and an enterprise risk management update.
The full board portion of Thursday’s meeting begins at 1 pm with a welcome from UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank. The board will hear two reports before moving into closed session to discuss personnel, disciplinary, and legal items. UW-Madison football coach Paul Chryst’s employment and additional compensation agreements are among the items on the agenda.
The full board meets for a second day at 9 am Friday. UW System President Ray Cross and Regent President John Behling will each provide updates to the board and UW-Madison will deliver its annual NCAA Division I Athletics report. The board will also recognize recipients of the 2019 Diversity Awards.
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In advocating for the UW-Madison faculty, PROFS vigorously defends academic freedom. State Representative Dave Murphy’s criticism of political science professor Ken Mayer’s course is an attack on academic freedom. It could have a chilling effect on future faculty members’ willingness to speak freely and openly about controversial topics of the day, a very unfortunate outcome. PROFS applauds groups like the College Republicans for standing up for Professor Mayer. These students recognize that Professor Mayer is a fair professor who is nonetheless willing to speak critically and honestly. That is a key element of the Wisconsin Idea.
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet at UW-La Crosse Thursday and Friday, December 6 and 7. All meetings will be held in the student union, 521 East Avenue North. The full board portions of the meeting will be livestreamed.
The board meets in committee Thursday morning:
The Education Committee will discuss many items including the approval of procedures relating to financial emergency and program discontinuance that require faculty layoff and termination at UW-Stevens Point (below). The committee will also hear several reports and consider changes to several Regent Policy Documents and approval of new degree programs at UW-Stevens Point, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Green Bay.
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The Business and Finance Committee will meet jointly with the Audit Committee before meeting to discuss several items, including faculty turnover (below). The number of faculty at all UW System institutions has declined from 6,485 to 5,983 over the past five years, with 434 faculty leaving in FY18. Last year, faculty turnover at UW-Madison was about 5%. Eighty-two tenured faculty members left — 58 retired and 24 resigned. Twenty-two probationary faculty left — 18 resigned and four were non-renewed. The committee will also consider two contractual agreements and hear a report on faculty and staff base salary adjustments.
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The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will discuss several building and renovation projects and hear several reports.
The Research, Economic Development, and Innovation Committee will hear the UW School of Medicine and Public Health annual report and consider approval of the Wisconsin Partnership program’s five-year plan.
After meeting jointly with the Business and Finance Committee to discuss the Plante Moran external audit, the Audit Committee will discuss internal audits and internal controls and enterprise risk management.
The full board meets in open and closed sessions Thursday afternoon. Governor-elect Tony Evers has been invited to address the board at 1 pm. The board will also hear from UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow and consider a resolution in support of a faculty and staff pay plan of 3% increase in each year of the 2019-21 biennium (below). The recommendation includes a provision for the state to fully-fund the pay plan given the the likelihood for a continued tuition freeze.
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Friday, the board will hear reports from Regent President John Behling and UW System President Ray Cross.
PROFS is pleased to cosponsor a campus forum on faculty entrepreneurship and innovation at 4 pm, Thursday, November 15. Register for the event here.
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