The Special Task Force on UW Restructuring and Operational Flexibilities will have its final scheduled meeting on Wednesday, June 6. The meeting will be held from 9 am to 2:30 pm in Room 412 East of the State Capitol.
After hearing from various university stakeholders over the past six months, the committee is scheduled to discuss tuition authority; personnel systems and compensation plans; and capital planning and procurement flexibilities. Task Force staff will prepare draft recommendations in the weeks following the meeting. A full report from the task force is due by August 31.
Tuition Authority The committee will consider the following questions:
- Should the Board of Regents raise tuition to capture the higher willingness and ability to pay of some Wisconsin families and increase revenues? To what extent should tuition be raised?
- If tuition were to be increased substantially, what measures should be taken to ensure access to UW institutions for all qualified resident applicants regardless of family income?
- Should tuition revenues be used to fund need-based financial aid for low-income students?
- Should the Board of Regents continue to approve differential tuition plans at individual institutions or should the Regents take a systemwide approach and engage in strategic finance?
- Should chancellors, rather than the Board of Regents, have to the authority to establish tuition and fees for their institutions?
- What role should the Legislature have in establishing tuition rates?
Personnel Systems The committee will consider the following discussion questions:
- What ability to transfer should UW employees holding positions that were formerly part of the classified staff have in the future?
- Should UW employees holding positions that were formerly part of the classified service be given governing authority similar to that granted to the faculty, academic staff, and students?
Capital Planning & Procurement The committee will consider the following recommendations:
- Place primary responsibility for planning and design with the Board of Regents.
- Strengthen Department of Administration bidding and construction capacity.
- Redefine enumeration to create two categories — new space and existing facilities — and incentivize investment in existing facilities. Establish a base budget for renovation and repair.
- Authorize the Board of Regents to enter into lease agreements.
- Vest responsibility with the Board of Regents to make all purchasing decisions for UW System institutions.
- Continue to purchase from mandatory state contracts unless the purchase is available at a lesser cost.
- Extend UW System contracts to the Department of Administration, state agencies, and other governmental and educational entities whenever authorized to do so.
The following materials were prepared for the meeting:
- Legislative Fiscal Bureau Discussion Paper: Tuition
- UW Tuition Responsibility (UW System, February 3, 2012)
- Legislative Fiscal Bureau Discussion Paper: Compensation
- Legislative Fiscal Bureau Discussion Paper: Personnel Systems
- Discussion Paper on on Establishing New University Personnel Systems (UW System, March 8, 2012)
- Proposed Capital Planning Flexibilities (UW System)
- Proposed Procurement Flexibilities (UW System)
June 5, ETA: Yesterday afternoon State Representative Stephen Nass (R-La Grange) sent a memo to fellow members of the task force with his recommendations on tuition.