Archive for October, 2011

The UW Budget: From bad to worse in 2 days.

Friday, October 21st, 2011

My posting on Wednesday on the reductions in state funding of UW was incorrect. I relied on a number of news accounts (Milwaukee  Journal-Sentinel, WSJ, etc.) for the information. Now, having read Vice Chancellor Bazzell’s memo, it is clear that the cuts will be far worse than originally reported.

To recap, news accounts in all major media initially stated that the UW-System would be subject to about $65 million in cuts over the biennium as a part of an overall state budget reduction of $174 million. (UW-Madison’s share of the reduction would be $24.6 million.) The Dept of Administration, which apportions the cuts, did not explain why UW would shoulder 37% of the reduction despite the fact that it constitutes only 7% of the state budget.

Today, the other shoe dropped. The other shoe in this instance is the probable loss of $111 million over the biennium; our share of an overall budget reduction of $300 million. Madison’s loss would be $42.6 million. This loss alone could not be “made up” if tuition for every student was increased $1000/ year. This is, of course, in addition to the $250 million loss to the System (and Madison) in the budget passed last summer. In contrast, aid to local government ($1.9 billion) is only nicked ($3 million) as is aid to K-12 education, the biggest item in the budget. Under the “$300 million scenario”, the UWS would still lose a disproportionate share of its state funding at a ratio of 5:1.

While the budget reduction of $300 million has not been ordered, agencies have been told to prepare for the loss. The reduction will be ordered if tax revenues do not increase in the next few months.

Under the $300 million reduction scenario, the Dept of Corrections would reduce its budget by $23 million or 1.4%. This would result in the UW receiving 6.7% of the state budget and the Dept of Corrections receiving 6.8%. The trend lines have crossed.

UW System
Budget % of Total State Budget % of Agency Budget
Before Cut $2,095,251,600 7.2%
Cut $163,900,000 7.8%
After Cut $1,931,351,600 6.7%
Department of Corrections
Budget % of Total State Budget % of agency budget
Before Cut $1,994,614,400 6.9%
Cut $27,924,602 1.4%
After Cut $1,966,689,798 6.8%

DMA

Posted in State-University Relations, The University Budget, The University System | 5 Comments »

UW System may soon trail Department of Corrections in share of state funding.

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

For many years there has been an interest in the ever-increasing state funding of corrections (aka “prisons”) and the simultaneous decline in the proportion of state funding of higher education. While there is reasonable debate about whether the state contribution has in fact increased in real dollars or the inestimable value of “stopping crime”, there remains enormous symbolic value in the primacy of being the state function that receives the most money. Its the old, “we’re number one!”

With the announcement of the new round of budget cuts ($65 million for the System, $13 million for Corrections), I reviewed LFB publications to see if indeed the UW is still #1 in the purse, if not the hearts, of Wisconsin.

I found (see table below) that although UWS funding will be $48M greater than that of Corrections (after the cuts), they are not only in the same ballpark, they are almost on the same base. UWS receives 7% of the total share of state funding while Corrections receives 6.8%. The budgetary trend lines of the two agencies have nearly merged because the budget reduction of UW is four times greater (as a percent of their budget) than that imposed on Corrections.

With additional inequitable budget reductions probable due to inflated revenue estimates, will Badger fans yell, “We’re Number Two! We’re Number Two!”

UW System
Budget % of Total State Budget % of Agency Budget
Before Cut $2,095,251,600 7.2%
Cut $65,769,847 3.1%
After Cut $2,029,481,753 7.0%
Department of Corrections
Budget % of Total State Budget % of agency budget
Before Cut $1,994,614,400 6.9%
Cut $13,400,479 0.7%
After Cut $1,981,213,921 6.8%

DMA

Posted in State-University Relations, The University Budget, The University System, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Connecting Engaged Scholarship with the Wisconsin Idea

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

Presentation and Panel Discussion

October 25, 2011

A Year of the Wisconsin Idea Event

Over the last quarter century, a national conversation about the societal relevance of higher education has gained considerable momentum. At the core of this dialogue lie the concepts of engagement and engaged scholarship, which call for universities to partner with their communities in addressing societal ills and creating positive change. A growing demand has emerged on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus for a public discussion of these issues, as symbolized by the ongoing Year of the Wisconsin Idea.

To contribute to this dialogue, three national engagement experts and a panel of UW–Madison scholars will lead a conversation surrounding the following question: “How can engaged scholarship help advance the Wisconsin Idea by reconciling UW–Madison’s competing obligations as both a land-grant and research intensive university?” (more…)

Posted in The Wisconsin Idea, Uncategorized, Upcoming events | 14 Comments »

Do UW employees need a representative organization?

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Do UW employees need a representative organization in addition to the existing governance institutions? What would be the primary objectives of the organization?  How would this organization evolve?

A group of faculty and staff met last Saturday afternoon to discuss these questions. The individuals represented a reasonable cross-section of academic staff and faculty (in length of service) and most of the employee organizations such as PROFS, UFAS and academic staff governance groups. The meeting was organized by Wisconsin University Union (WUU) for the purpose of assessing interest in a campus-wide organization and figuring out what that organization would do.

There was a unanimous opinion that an employee organization is needed. Many of the discussion participants were members/leaders of the staff and faculty governance organizations and spoke to the limitations of those organizations. Academic staff discussed the inability of the Academic Staff Assembly to address most of the major issues facing the staff e.g. layoffs, promotions, pay inequities. And noted the low level of participation and interaction with those they purport to represent. Faculty noted that the Senate failed to take a strong position on the Public Authority proposal until it was effectively dead. Given the structural ties between the Faculty Senate and PROFS, that organization is often hamstrung from positions that most members of PROFS endorse. (more…)

Posted in Collective bargaining, Compensation, Shared governance, State worker benefits | 1 Comment »