% THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO
% REPUBLICANS.%>> ONE OF THE AR
EAS OF THE STATE
% BUDGET YET TO BE FINALIZED
% INCLUDES THE UNIVERSITY OF
% WISCONSIN'S SYSTEM OF WHICH WE
% AT PBS WISCONSIN ARE A PART OF.
% AND THAT BUDGET COULD COME WITH
% COMPLICATIONS AS EARLIER THIS
% WEEK ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOS
% SAID HE WANTED TO SEE CUTS BY
% $32 MILLION TO FORCE THE SCHOOLS
% TO ELIMINATE SCHOOLS REGARDING
% DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
% JAY ROTHMAN JOINS US.
% THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
% SPEAKER VOS SAYS EFFORTS RELATED
% TO DEI ARE A LEFT WIN RELIGION
% AND INDOCTRINATION.
% HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?
% >> STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THE
% BUDGET.
% WHEN WE STARTED THE PROJECT, WE
% HAD RECOMMENDED A 4% INCREASE IN
% EACH YEAR OF THE BIENNIUM, WHICH
% I THOUGHT WAS REASONABLE IN
% LIGHT OF INFLATION BEING AT 8%
% LAST YEAR AND 5 OR 6% THIS YEAR.
% WE KNEW WE WOULDN'T EVEN KEEP
% PACE WITH INFLATION AND NOW
% THERE'S DISCUSSION OF A
% POTENTIAL CUT TO OUR BUDGET AND
% THE GULF BETWEEN THOSE TWO IS
% HUGE, AND THAT GULF REALLY IS
% GOING TO THREATEN ACCESSIBILITY
% FOR OUR STUDENTS IN THIS STATE
% AND IT'S GOING TO THREATEN
% AFFORDABILITY IN THE STATE OF
% WISCONSIN, AND THAT'S REALLY
% WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON.
% WE'RE FOCUSED ON HELPING
% WISCONSIN WIN THE WAR FOR
% TALENT.
% WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ENGINEERS
% AND NURSES AND DATA SCIENTISTS
% AND SO FORTH IN THE STATE.
% THOSE JOBS ARE GOING TO LEAVE
% OUR STATE UNLESS THEY'RE FILLED
% HERE, WHICH IS GOING TO HURT
% WISCONSIN'S LONG-TERM ECONOMIC
% VIABILITY.
% AND AS I THINK ABOUT THE
% ACCESSIBILITY PIECE, I, IN
% APRIL, I ASKED OUR CHANCELLORS
% TO LOOK AT THE BRANCH CAMPUSES
% AND LOOK AT ARE THEY VIABLE LONG
% TERM.
% HOW DO WE MAKE THEM VIABLE, HOW
% CAN WE ADJUST THEM.
% WE RECENTLY RETAINED DELOITTE TO
% HELP LOOK AT STRUCTURAL DEFICITS
% IN OUR UNIVERSITIES AND HELP US
% TRY TO CLOSE THOSE BY 2028
% CONSISTENT WITH OUR STRATEGIC
% PLAN.
% SO THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE.
% THAT FUNDING GAP IS ENORMOUS AND
% I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT
% LONGER TERM, WHAT ARE WE GOING
% TO DO FOR THE STATE.
% WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF
% THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
% THAT'S WHY THE SYSTEM EXISTS.
% THAT'S WHY I TOOK THIS JOB IS TO
% HELP THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
% I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT IN THIS
% STATE MY ENTIRE LIFE.
% THAT FUNDING GAP CREATES A REAL
% ISSUE FOR US.
% >> SPEAKER VOS SAYS IN TERMS OF
% HIRING MORE NURSES AND
% ENGINEERS, HE THINKS MONEY IS
% NOT BEING WELL SPENT ON
% POSITIONS CONNECTED TO DEI
% INVESTMENTS.%DO YOU AGREE WIT
H THAT?
% >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE GULF,
% WE'RE TALKING NEARLY HALF A
% BILLION DOLLARS IN TERMS OF THAT
% GULF, AND I APPRECIATE THE
% CONCERNS AROUND D.E. & I, BUT I
% LOOK AT IT AND SAY IT'S THAT
% GULF, THAT INVESTMENT, AND WE'VE
% BEEN DEALING WITH SLINKING
% BUDGETS FOR 10 YEARS IN THE
% SYSTEM, SHRINKING.
% THERE IS A POINT AT WHICH YOU
% CANNOT DO THIS ANY LONGER AND IT
% IS THREATENING ACCESSIBILITY,
% BUT IT'S ALSO THREATENING
% AFFORDABLE HOUSING.%YOU LOOK
AT IT AND YOU SAY --
% AFFORDABILITY.
% STUDY SAID THAT WE ARE THE MOST
% AFFORDABLE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
% SYSTEM IN THE MIDWEST AND WE ARE
% PROUD OF THAT.
% WE THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR
% THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, AND TO
% HAVE OUR UNIVERSITIES BE
% AFFORDABLE, BUT THAT'S BEING
% THREATENED BY THE LACK OF
% INVESTMENT THAT'S GOING INTO OUR
% UNIVERSITIES, AND THAT'S WHAT MY
% FOCUS IS.
% >> THE SYSTEM JUST ANNOUNCED A
% NEW CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER HAS
% BEEN HIRED.
% DID YOU THINK THAT THE
% CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT AND THE
% BUDGET WOULD CAUSE CONFLICT?
% >> THAT POSITION HAS BEEN IN
% PLACE FOR MANY YEARS.
% IT WAS IN POSITION WITH
% PRESIDENT CROSS, IT WAS THERE
% WITH PRESIDENT THOMPSON, SO WE
% WERE SIMPLY FILLING A VACANCY.
% THAT SEARCH STARTED LAST
% NOVEMBER FOR THAT POSITION.
% >> SO GOVERNOR TONY EVERS SAYS
% THAT HE'S THREATENED TO VETO THE
% ENTIRE STATE BUDGET IF THE UW'S
% BUDGET IS CUT IN THIS WAY.
% HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO EITHER
% THE SPEAKER'S OFFICE OR THE
% GOVERNOR'S OFFICE TO TALK THREE
% ABOUT DEI AND THE BUDGET?
% >> WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF
% CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH THE
% LEGISLATORS ACROSS THE BOARD,
% WHAT'S BEEN REASSURING TO ME IS
% THE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR THE
% UW SYSTEM IN THE LEGISLATURE.
% WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH
% GOVERNOR EVERS.
% THE VETO IN MY MIND IS DOWN THE
% LINE.
% WE'RE HOPEFUL WE CAN MAKE OUR
% POINT THAT WHY INVESTMENT IN THE
% UW SYSTEM IS AN INVESTMENT IN
% THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF
% WISCONSIN.
% THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON,
% BECAUSE I DO WORRY.
% I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK BACK,
% AND IF I'M STILL ON THIS EARTH
% 10, 15, 20 YEARS FROM NOW, THIS
% IS A CRITICAL PERIOD ABOUT
% ACCESSIBILITY AND AFFORDABILITY
% IN OUR STATE.
% >> FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
% LISTENING TO THIS INTERVIEW THAT
% DO SUPPORT DEI AND THE MISSION
% INVOLVED WITH THAT, THEY'RE NOT
% HEARING VERY MUCH FROM YOU
% SPEAKING ABOUT YOUR SUPPORT FOR
% THOSE EFFORTS IN THOSE PROGRAMS.
% WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM?
% >> I HAVE REITERATED ON A NUMBER
% OF OCCASIONS THE SUPPORT FOR
% DEI.
% I CAME FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR,
% IN THE FIRM THAT I WAS IN, WE
% FOCUSED ON THAT BECAUSE IT WAS
% GOOD BUSINESS, IT WAS IMPORTANT,
% AND MY SUPPORT FOR D & I HAS NOT
% WAVERED.
% >> UW SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
% BUILDING WAS NOT APPROVED BY THE
% REPUBLICANS ON THE JOINT
% FINANCE.%IS THAT ANOTHER AREA
THAT YOU'RE
% PUSHING FOR OR DO YOU THINK IN A
% SHIP HAS SAILED ON ENGINEERING
% FOR NOW AND RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST
% ON THE SYSTEM BUDGET?
% >> I THINK WE CONTINUE TO
% ADVOCATE FOR ENGINEERING.
% IT WAS THE TOP PRIORITY IN OUR
% CAPITAL BUDGET AND I THINK THE
% LOGIC FOR BUILDING THAT BUILDING
% IS COMPELLING.
% THERE IS ENORMOUS STUDENT DEMAND
% FOR IT.
% THE APPLICANTS, WE CAN'T EVEN
% SATISFY ANYWHERE NEAR THE NUMBER
% OF APPLICANTS THAT ARE THERE.
% WE KNOW THERE ARE JOBS AVAILABLE
% FOR THOSE ENGINEERS, AND
% CRITICAL JOBS INCLUDING IN THE
% STATE OF WISCONSIN.
% WE KNOW THAT THE BUSINESS
% COMMUNITY IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF
% THAT BUILDING.
% WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO EXPAND
% THE -- BU BECAUSE IT'S THE WORLD
% CLASS RESEARCH THAT'S DONE
% THERE.%WE NEED TO ENHANCE THE
% FACILITIES SO THAT WE CAN
% CONTINUE TO GROW THAT WORLD
% CLASS RESEARCH THAT RENOUNCE THE
% BENEFIT OF THIS STATE AND
% FINALLY, YOU LOOK AT THE PRIVATE
% SUPPORT.
% WELL OVER A HUNDRED MILLION
% DOLLARS OF PRIVATE MONEY GOES
% INTO THAT BUILDING.
% THIS IS A BUILDING THAT I WOULD
% THINK THE LEGISLATURE LOOKS AT
% AND SAY "WE NEED TO BUILD THAT
% BUILDING."%WE THINK THAT ARGU
MENT IS
% COMPELLING AND WE ARE GOING TO
% CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT
% BUILDING.
% >> DO YOU THINK SOME OF THIS
% IN-FIGHTING IS ABOUT POLITICAL
% POSTURING, OR ARE THERE REAL
% CONCERNS THE REPUBLICANS WILL
% CUT YOUR BUDGET?
% >> IT'S NOT JUST THE CUT IN THE
% BUDGET; IT IS THAT GULF, AND ARE
% WE GOING TO INVEST IN THE UW
% SYSTEM.%WE ARE THE BEST DEVE
LOPER OF
% TALENT THIS STATE HAS.
% THAT IS CRITICAL AS WE MOVE INTO
% A TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN KNOWLEDGE
% ECONOMY.% WHERE ARE WE GOING
TO BE FIVE,
% 10, 15 YEARS FROM NOW?
% THE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE MADE
% TODAY OR THE INVESTMENTS THAT
% ARE NOT MADE TODAY WILL DEFINE
% WISCONSIN'S FUTURE.
% >> WE'LL LEAVE IT THERE.