Tag: 2015-17 state budget

Nygren and Knudson Announce New Plan for UW System

by  •  • Comments Off on Nygren and Knudson Announce New Plan for UW System

Representatives John Nygren (R-Marinette) and Dean Knudson (R-Hudson), co-chair and member of the Joint Finance Committee, respectively, announced they will recommend changes to Governor Scott Walker’s budget plan for UW System (below).

The legislators said they will work to reduce the $300 million cut proposed by the governor, but will not support full public authority for the system, saying the university indicated it was not interested in significant change:

“(I)t is clear from their response that the Regents, Chancellors and university administrators are not ready for this level of independence. We believe the legislature must maintain control and supervision over the university system.”

Nygren and Knudson also support tuition increases for graduate and out-of-state students while continuing to freeze tuition for two more years. They also want campuses to spend down reserves.

Loader Loading...
EAD Logo Taking too long?

Reload Reload document
| Open Open in new tab

Download

Democrats to Host Budget Listening Sessions

by  •  • Comments Off on Democrats to Host Budget Listening Sessions

Democratic leaders and members of the Joint Committee on Finance announced yesterday they would hold nine public listening sessions over the next few weeks in an effort to receive more public input on the proposed state budget.

The Finance Committee is hosting four official public hearings — the first will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18, in Brillion.

The Democratic listening session schedule is as follows:

 

Vos: Budget Cut is Deeper Than What I Would Have Done; Legislature Could Change Tenure

by  •  • Comments Off on Vos: Budget Cut is Deeper Than What I Would Have Done; Legislature Could Change Tenure

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) told WisconsinEye senior producer Steve Walters he believed Governor Scott Walker’s proposed $300 million cut to the University of Wisconsin System budget was too large and he would support a smaller cut if state revenues allow.

Vos, appearing with Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) on Civil Dialogue, also said he does not support full public authority status for the system. The full video is embedded below. Remarks about the UW System begin at the 13 minute mark and continue for about 7 minutes.

Vos said Board of Regent action last week suggests the Regents are unlikely to implement major changes to tenure and “all these different things,” making full public authority unnecessary. He questioned the need for public authority if the board is going to protect the status quo and fears a large tuition increase would be the outcome of public authority.

Instead, Vos said he supports specific management flexibilities in procurement and building projects. Vos later told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the legislature has the ability to end tenure and shared governance.

Barca told Walters the budget proposal would devastate the UW System and would result in increased time to degree for students and the loss of faculty members to other universities. Barca also noted the average UW-Madison faculty member brings in an average of $250,000 in outside funding which would also be lost.

With regard to flexibility, Barca said he supports flexibility, but increased autonomy would make up only a small percentage of the budget cuts.

AAUP Statement on Proposed UW System Public Authority Plan

by  •  • Comments Off on AAUP Statement on Proposed UW System Public Authority Plan

aaup-logo-2_0American Association of University Professors President Rudy Fichtenbaum released a statement (below) yesterday calling for the University of Wisconsin System administration to oppose the proposal to transform UW System from a state agency into a public authority.

Fichtenbaum says the proposal could profoundly undermine tenure, due process, and shared governance. In particular, he is concerned about the statutory removal of these faculty rights.

Loader Loading...
EAD Logo Taking too long?

Reload Reload document
| Open Open in new tab

Download

Board of Regent Resolutions

by  •  • Comments Off on Board of Regent Resolutions

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents adopted two resolutions relating to the 2015-17 biennial budget proposal last week.

One resolution called for a reduction in the proposed base budget cut and supported management flexibilities either through public authority status or new legislation:

Loader Loading...
EAD Logo Taking too long?

Reload Reload document
| Open Open in new tab

Download [108.27 KB]

The second resolution reaffirmed support for shared governance and tenure and asked for authorization to establish policies of shared governance and tenure should they be removed from state statute:

Loader Loading...
EAD Logo Taking too long?

Reload Reload document
| Open Open in new tab

Download [107.24 KB]

 

Four Public Hearings on State Budget Planned

by  •  • Comments Off on Four Public Hearings on State Budget Planned

Joint Committee on Finance co-chair John Nygren (R-Marinette) announced four public hearings on Assembly Bill 21, the 2015-17 biennial budget proposal, will be held later this month:

The committee is expected to begin voting on motions related to the bill in April.

March Board of Regents Meeting

by  •  • Comments Off on March Board of Regents Meeting

uw system logoThe University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet at UW-Madison Thursday, March 5. Livestream coverage is available here.

The full board begins its meeting at 9 am at the Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 West Dayton Street.

The regents will discuss a sponsored research contract agreement with ExxonMobil and hear a presentation on how faculty and staff are using information technology to improve learning outcomes on campus.

In the afternoon, the regents and UW institution chancellors will discuss the 2015-17 biennial budget proposal and its potential effects.

Joint Finance Committee Briefing on UW System Budget Today

by  •  • Comments Off on Joint Finance Committee Briefing on UW System Budget Today

Joint Finance Committee Hearing RoomThe Joint Finance Committee began budget briefings yesterday and continue today with discussions on the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Workforce Development, the University of Wisconsin System, the Department of Public Instruction, and the Department of Health Services.

Members of the committee will hear from agency representatives during the briefing. There will be no public testimony. UW System President Ray Cross is expected to address the committee. Livestream coverage of the hearing is available on WisconsinEye.

Yesterday, the committee heard an overview of the budget from former Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch and discussed the Department of Corrections, the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice budgets.

The committee will conclude budget briefings Wednesday when they hear from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Revenue, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Financial Institutions, the Department of Safety and Professional Services, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.

Legislative Fiscal Bureau Analysis of Governor Walker’s UW System Budget Proposal

by  •  • Comments Off on Legislative Fiscal Bureau Analysis of Governor Walker’s UW System Budget Proposal

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau released its analysis of Governor Scott Walker’s 2015-17 biennial budget proposal yesterday. The entire University of Wisconsin System portion is here, but PROFS has broken down the document into separate categories:

Budget and FTE Position Summary

Loader Loading...
EAD Logo Taking too long?

Reload Reload document
| Open Open in new tab

Download

This section outlines the fiscal impact of the budget proposal — a 13 percent cut to the university’s state appropriation. It also includes language freezing tuition for two more years.

Also included are cuts to several programs: the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative, the Environmental Education Board, solid waste research, recycling education funding, rural physician residency assistance program, and the discovery farm grant program. The State Laboratory of Hygiene and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory would be transferred to the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection.

Creation of Public Authority

Loader Loading...
EAD Logo Taking too long?

Reload Reload document
| Open Open in new tab

Download

The section includes language converting UW System to a public authority effective July 1, 2016. Governance of the system would be the responsibility of the Board of Regents. Changes to the university’s mission statement are included in the this section, but the governor has said the mission statement will remain unchanged.

This section also says all public authority employees will continue participation in the Wisconsin Retirement System, group health insurance, and other benefit programs.

Provisions for tenure and and sabbatical leave programs are deleted. UW System President Ray Cross has said he will ask the Board of Regents to adopt current language as new regent policy.

Deletion of Current Law Provisions

Loader Loading...
EAD Logo Taking too long?

Reload Reload document
| Open Open in new tab

Download

This section deletes many current law provisions including shared governance. Again, President Cross has said he intends to maintain shared governance through regent policy.

The LFB memo says that the Board of Regents will have the authority to recreate deleted provisions, but will not be required to do so by law. Other affected programs include tobacco research grants, tuition remission, minority and disadvantaged student programs, student financial aid, distinguished professorships and chairs, and the reporting of sexual assault information.

New, Modified or Maintained Chapter 36 Provisions

Loader Loading...
EAD Logo Taking too long?

Reload Reload document
| Open Open in new tab

Download

Many provisions are maintained including police authority, admissions, conferring of degrees, travel policies, prohibition of student discrimination.

Sick leave would be regulated by the board.

On Point with Tom Ashbrook: Testing The ‘Wisconsin Idea’ Of Public Higher Education

by  •  • Comments Off on On Point with Tom Ashbrook: Testing The ‘Wisconsin Idea’ Of Public Higher Education

on point logo

Today’s first hour of On Point, a National Public Radio radio talk show hosted by Tom Ashbrook, featured a discussion of the Wisconsin Idea, Governor Scott Walker’s proposed budget cuts for the University of Wisconsin System, and how they relate to the the governor’s national political ambitions. Audio is below.

University of Wisconsin-Madison history professor John Sharpless and academic staff member Noel Radomski, director of WISCAPE, were joined on the panel by two members of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel staff — higher education reporter Karen Herzog and columnist/blogger Christian Schneider.