{"id":1400,"date":"2011-03-02T08:29:51","date_gmt":"2011-03-02T13:29:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/profs.wisc.edu\/?p=1400"},"modified":"2011-03-02T08:29:51","modified_gmt":"2011-03-02T13:29:51","slug":"first-look-at-the-state-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/profs.wisc.edu\/?p=1400","title":{"rendered":"First Look at the State Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Basc_window_Capitol06_0261\"<\/a>Governor Scott Walker presented<\/a> his 2011-13 biennial budget<\/a> to a joint session of the legislature earlier today, and it offered few surprises. As expected, the proposal includes huge cuts to two of Wisconsin’s largest expenditures — K-12 education and aid to local governments.<\/p>\n

While the budget calls for UW-Madison to become a public authority separate from UW-System and affords the university the flexibility Chancellor Biddy Martin requested, it also slashes the university’s appropriation from the state. Walker intends to cut $250 million from UW System’s budget, including $125 million cut to UW-Madison, which represents a 13 percent reduction in GPR funding to the campus.<\/p>\n

Chancellor Martin has not offered specifics regarding how the campus will respond to the cuts, but said decisions will be made over the next two months:<\/p>\n

“We will deal with the cuts using a combination of tools — savings from flexibilities and new forms of budgetary authority, thoughtful approaches to tuition increases, efficiencies we gain from the study of our administrative functions, and necessary cuts to our budgets.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These discussions of course must involve shared governance structures and members of the faculty look forward to active input into this process and these decisions.<\/p>\n

The campus community is invited to participate in two forums on the budget — Wednesday, March 2, at 9 a.m. in the Ebling Symposium Center on the first floor of the Microbial Sciences Building, 1550 Linden Drive; and Tuesday, March 8, at 1:30 p.m. in Plenary Room of Grainger Hall, 975 University Ave. The chancellor and other UW-Madison officials will also participate in an hour-long web chat<\/a> Wednesday, March 2, at 3 p.m.<\/p>\n

Other items of note in the budget:<\/p>\n