University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank delivered her final address to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents last Thursday, February 10. Her remarks were part of the board’s two-day February meeting which was hosted by UW-Madison at Union South. Chancellor Blank is leaving UW-Madison at the end of the spring semester to become president of Northwestern University.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank appeared on PBS Wisconsin’s Here and Now last week to discuss the university’s plans for in-person learning this fall. Classes begin September 8 with a majority of courses offered in-person. While UW-Madison does not have a vaccine mandate, any student, faculty member or staff person who is unvaccinated must test weekly.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank told members of Downtown Madison Rotary today that the university faces unprecedented financial losses due to COVID-19. Blank said that current projections show a loss of $150 million, but the loss will grow if fewer students enroll when classes resume in September.
Blank noted that UW System already took almost two-thirds of the $70 million cut ordered by Governor Evers earlier this spring and cautioned that against a similar cut this fiscal year:
You cannot cut the budget on the back of higher education in this state. That will be a disaster for the state in the long run…We are arguing strongly that we’ve already given at the office and we should have a lower percentage in this next round, but we’ll see what happens.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has created a website with information relating to the university’s response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
In-person instruction will be suspended this Friday prior to spring beak, and distance learning will begin March 23. Students who live in residence halls are asked to remain off campus after break if possible.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank held a news conference yesterday with additional information about changes to campus operations due to the virus. A portion of her remarks are below. The full press conference is here.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank offers her perspective on Wisconsin’s upcoming 2015-17 biennial budget process in her most recent Blank’s Slate blog post.
Blank writes the budget will be the primary focus of the governor and legislators in January, and UW-Madison should prepare itself for the possibility of continued cuts. The state is on track to end the year with an almost $1 billion structural deficit, and the university must compete with other high-need funding areas for limited state resources. Because the budget process is lengthy — it often stretches into June or July — the chancellor has asked deans and directors to model cuts of 2, 4, and 6 percent.
The chancellor plans to coordinate efforts with PROFS and ASPRO, the Academic Staff Professionals Organization, and will reach out to alumni and members of the business community as she makes the case for increased funding for UW-Madison with legislators.
