%>> FALL SEMESTER AT UW CAMPUSES
%IS ABOUT A MONTH OFF, AND THE%
NEW ACADEMIC YEAR HAS UNIVERSITY%
LEADERS INCREASINGLY VOICING
%CONCERNS ABOUT THE TUITION
%FREEZE.
%COMING
INTO
ITS SEVENTH YEAR.
%THAT''S BECAUSE THE STATE BUDGET
%DID NOT BACK-FILL THAT FREEZE.%
INSTEAD THE UW SYSTEM
%SAW A 58-MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE
%OVER TWO YEARS.
%LESS THAN HALF WHAT GOVERNOR
%TONY EVERS HAD PROPOSED. SYSTEM
%PRESIDENT RAY CROSS SAYS IT
%WOULD TAKE 60-MILLION JUST
%TO KEEP UP WITH INFLATION.
%THERE ARE SEVERAL LEGISLATIVE
%BILLS CIRCULATING RELATED TO
%TEUATION AND
A
CAMPAIGN ON THE
%PART OF
THE
SYSTEM
TO
HERALD
THE
%VALUE OF THE
U.W.
TO
THE STAILT.
STATE.
%TO TALK ABOUT ALL THIS, WE''RE%
JOINED NOW BY UW SYSTEM%PRESID
ENT, RAY CROSS. BEFORE%WE BEGIN, WE
SHOULD NOTE THAT
%WPT IS PART OF THE UNIVERSITY.
%SO AS THE UW PREPARES FOR
%STUDENTS TO CONVERGE FOR FALL
%SEMESTER, WHAT WILL YOUR
%CONCERNS WITH
THIS
YEAR
MARKING
%THE SEVENTH OF THE
TUITION
%FREEZE?%>> WELL,
WE
BELIEVE, AND I
THINK
%YOU SEE
THAT
THE
LEGISLATORS
OF
%BOTH PARTIES
ARE
INTRODUCING
%BILLS
THAT
REFLECT
THEIR
DESIRE
%TO INCREASE
THE
INVESTMENT IN
%THE UNIVERSITY.
%AND THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT
WE
%THINK IS
NEEDED,
AND
THAT
WE'RE
%REALLY
PLEASED
TO
SEE
THAT
%CONVERSATION
TAKING
PLACE.
%THAT'S ONE OF THE
REASONS,
TOO,
%THAT WE
ARE
EMBARKING
ON
THIS
%ALL IN WISCONSIN
AS
YOU
CALL
%HERALDING THE
VALUE OF
THE
%UNIVERSITY.
%WE
THINK
PEOPLE
ACROSS
THE
STATE
%NEED TO
HAVE A
BETTER
SENSE
OF
%HOW
THE
UNIVERSITY
IMPACTS
THEIR
%LIVES,
THE
VALUE
IT
BRINGS,
THE
%ADDITIONAL
LIVING --
THE
LIFT IN
%THE
LIVING WAGE
THAT
IT
PROVIDES
%ON
AVERAGE OF
A
MILLION
DOLLARS%A
YEAR,
SO --
AND
THE
INVESTMENT
%ITSELF
IS
LIKE 23
TO 1 IN
THE
%UNIVERSITY, SO W
E
BRING
A
GREAT
%RETURN
TO
THE
STATE
AND
HELPING
%PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND NOT
ONLY
THE
%ABSTRACT
NUMBERS AT A
HIGH
LEVEL
%BUT ALSO
THE
IMPACT
IT
DIRECTLY
%HAS ON
THEIR
LIVES.%>>
ARE
YOU
SPECIFICALLY TRYING
%TO CONNECT
THE
DOTS
BETWEEN
THE
%VALUE OF THE
U.W. SYSTEM
TO
THE%STATE OF WISCONSIN
AND
%INCREASING TUITION?
%I MEAN,
YOU
WANT
THIS
KIND OF
%WHAT
REALLY IS
KIND OF
A
P.R.
%BLITZ
TO
CONVINCE
PEOPLE,
YES,
%THE TIME
IS
NOW
TO
DO
THIS?%>>
WELL,
IT
ISN'T
JUST
THAT
%WE'RE
SEEKING
INCREASED
TUITION,%WE'RE
SEEKING
AN
INCREASED
%INVESTMENT, WHATEVER FORM THAT%
TAKES.
%WE
CANNOT
MAINTAIN
QUALITY
%WITHOUT
SUFFICIENT
INVESTMENT IN
%THE
UNIVERSITY.
%AND I
THINK
THAT'S OBVIOUS
TO
%MEMBERS OF
BOTH
PARTIES.%>>
NOW,
YOU
HAVE SAID
THAT
THE
%STATE BUDGET
DOES
NOT
PROVIDE%ENOUGH
FUNDING
TO
COVER
%NECESSARY
INVESTMENTS.
%LIKE
WHAT?%>>
WELL, LET
ME TAKE A
COUPLE
OF
%THINGS.
%FIRST OF
ALL,
THE
COMPENSATION
%THAT
OUR
EMPLOYEES
RECEIVE.
%THE UNIVERSITY HAS
TO
PAY
30%
OF
%THAT.
%THAT
TRADITIONALLY
CAME
FROM
%TUITION.
%SO
OUR
PORTION
OF
TUITION
WOULD
%COVER
THAT
COMPENSATION INCREASE
%FOR
OUR
EMPLOYEES.
%THAT'S NOT
BEING
COVERED
AT
THIS
%POINT, SO
THAT'S
ABOUT%$16 MILLION
O
F
THAT --
ACTUALLY
%$45 MILLION THAT WE'RE
GETTING
%RIGHT OFF THE
TOP.
%SO THAT'S
A PIECE OF
IT.
%THE OTHER
ELEMENTS
IN
THIS
%INCLUDE
THE
NORMAL
COST
OF
%INFLATION FOR
WHICH
IS
ROUGHLY
%2.4%, FOR GOODS
AND
SERVICES
WE
%HAVE
TO
BUY,
SO
THAT'S
A
N
%ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT
OF
%MONEY.
%ON
TOP
OF
THAT,
THERE ARE
A
%NUMBER OF
INVESTMENTS WE
NEED
TO
%MAKE
TO MEET
THE
NEEDS OF
THE
%STATE,
INCLUDING
MORE
NURSES,
%MORE
ENGINEERS,
MORE
DATA
%SCIENTISTS
AND
MORE
TEACHERS.
%AND
THOSE
DIFFERENT
FIELDS
%REQUIRE
INCREASED
INVESTMENT.
%NOW
IT'S
TRUE,
WE
HAVE
%REALLOCATED FUNDS,
THERE'S
NO
%QUESTION, IN
ORDER
TO
SUPPORT
%THOSE
MORE
STRONGLY.
%BUT
WE
STILL
CAN'T
GROW
IN
THOSE
%AREAS AS
FAST
AS
WE
NEED
TO.
%>>
BUT
MEANWHILE,
WHAT
ABOUT
%CAMPUSES ALREADY
STRUGGLING
WITH
%A BUDGET
DRUN
!
BUDGET
CRUNCH
LIKE
UW STEVENS
%POINT
IN
THIS
BUDGET
PICTURE YOU
%PAINT?%>>
THE
DEMOGRAPHICS
PARTICULARLY%IN
THE NORTH CENTRAL
PART
OF
%WISCONSIN
AND STEVENS POINT IS
%RIGHT IN THE
MIDDLE
OF
THAT,
THE
%DEMOGRAPHICS
ARE
SERIOUSLY
%IMPACTING
THEIR
ENROLLMENT, AND
%THAT'S
A
CHALLENGE.
%ON
TOP
OF
THAT
WHEN
YOU HAVE
NOT
%JUST
FROZEN
TUITION
BUT
REDUCED
%INVESTMENT FROM THE
STATE OVER
%THE
LAST EIGHT
YEARS
THAT
%COMPLICATES
THEIR
FINANCIAL
%PICTURE.
%AND THEY'RE
DEALING
WITH
THAT
AS
%AGGRESSIVELY AS THEY
CAN,
BUT
%THE LACK
OF
STATE
RESOURCES
,
%ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT OF
STATE
%RESOURCES
COMPLICATES
THEIR
%SITUATION.
%>>
NOW ONE OF THE
REPUBLICAN
%LAWMAKERS IS ALREADY KIND OF
%PREPARING FOR A
LIFT OF THE
%TUITION FREEZE WITH
A
PROPOSAL
%THAT
IF
LIFTED,
TUITION
COULD
%ONLY
BE
INCREASED AT THE
MAXIMUM
!
%MAXIMUM -- TO THE
MAXIMUM OF
THE
%CONSUMER
PRICE
INDEX, WHICH
IS
%WHAT --
UNDER
2%
LATELY.
%WHAT DO
YOU
THINK
OF
THIS
%PARTICULAR
PROPOSAL?%>>
WELL,
I
THINK
IT'S
ABOUT
%2.44% RIGHT
NOW,
BUT
I
THINK
THE
%CHAPTER 36 GIVES
THAT
%RESPONSIBILITY TO
THE
BOARD.
%THE
BOARD'S
ROLE
IS
TO
ANALYZE
%THE
NEEDS
OF
THE
SYSTEM
AND
SET
%TUITION,
AND
THAT'S
THE
%RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
BOARD.
%I
THINK
THERE
ARE
WAYS
TO
WORK
%TOGETHER WITH
THE
LEGISLATURE
SO
%THE
APPROPRIATE
OVERSIGHT
IS
%POSSIBLE, BUT I
THINK
MANDATING
%THAT
IN
STATUTORY
LANGUAGE IS A
%BIT TOO
MUCH.%>>
REPUBLICAN
SENATOR
STEVEN
%NASS
IS
POINTED
IN
SUPPORT
FOR A
%CONTINUED
TUITION
FREEZE,
BEING
%AS I KNOW I
DON'T
HAVE
TO TELL
%YOU, AND
CALLS
INTO
QUESTION
HOW
%CAREFUL THE
U.W.
IS
WITH
ITS
%SPENDING.
%WHAT
DO
YOU
SAY
TO
HIM
AND
OTHER
%LAWMAKERS
WHO
MIGHT FEEL
%SIMILARLY?%>>
WELL,
WE'VE
DONE A
LOT
TO
%CONTROL
OUR
ECK
!
EXPENSES,
BUT
THERE
%COMES
A POINT
WHEN
THERE NEEDS
%TO BE
AN
INVESTMENT IN
THE
%UNIVERSITY.
%WHAT
HAVE
WE
DONE -- IF YOU
%THINK ABOUT
IT,
THE
%RESTRUCTURING PROCESS THAT WE'RE
%GOING
THROUGH,
THAT
WILL
NOT
%RECOUP
OR
SAVE
US
A
TON
OF
MONEY
%INITIALLY.
%IT
WASN'T
INTENDED
TO.
%BUT OVER
TIME,
WE'VE
ACTUALLY
%ELIMINATED A
WHOLE
INSTITUTION
%WITHIN
THE
SYSTEM.
%WE'RE
SHIFTING
RESOURCES
FROM
%ADMINISTRATIVE
RESPONSIBILITIES
%TO
THE
CLASSROOM.
%WE'RE
DOING
THINGS
LIKE
THAT
ON
%AN
AGGRESSIVE
BASIS, BUT
YOU
CAN
%ONLY GO
SO
FAR
IN
THAT PROCESS.
%>> ALL
RIGHT.
%WE
NEED TO
LEAVE
IT