The campaign to secure more funding for graduate education at UW-Madison won a major victory this week when the University of Wisconsin System included $5.4 million for graduate education in its proposed budget for the 2011-2013 biennium. The Decision Item Narrative — or “DIN” as it’s known in budgetary parlance — to provide the grad funding was developed by a coalition of faculty members, graduate students and administrators at UW-Madison. Graduate education funding has been a major priority for PROFS and faculty governance on campus for a number of years.
The DIN was included in the Research to Jobs portion of the budget proposal. It recognizes the important role that graduate students play in the success of the university, including the major impact the institution has on our state’s economy. The UW System Board of Regents is expected to vote on the budget proposal, including the DIN, during its meeting on Thursday and Friday of this week. The proposal will then go to the new governor, who will propose a state budget, including a university budget, early in 2011. The Wisconsin Legislature will then consider the plan. The 2011-2013 biennium begins on July 1, 2011.
To view the System budget proposal, including the DIN, click here. The DIN is on Page 20.
PROFS will continue to make the DIN a priority, along with other priorities such as competitive compensation and overall funding of the university, as we communicate with legislators, legislative candidates, and candidates for governor.