% PBSWISCONSIN.ORG/NEWS.%TURNIN
G TO EDUCATION, AFTER A
% DECADE OF UNDERGRADUATE TUITION
% FREEZES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
% WISCONSIN, THE SYSTEM PRESIDENT
% IS NOW ASKING TO BE ABLE TO HIKE
% THE COST OF ATTENDANCE BY 5%
% STARTING NEXT FALL.
% CURRENT TUITION RATES VARY AT
% THE 13 UNIVERSITIES IN THE U.W.
% SYSTEM FROM ABOUT $4,750 PER
% YEAR TO JUST UNDER $9,275 AT
% U.W. MADISON.
% A 5% INCREASE WOULD ADD HUNDREDS
% OF DOLLARS TO THAT BILL.
% GOVERNOR TONY EVERS' BUDGET
% CALLS FOR GIVING THE U.W. SYSTEM
% MORE THAN $300 MILLION OVER THE
% NEXT TWO YEARS, BUT THAT IS
% STILL SHORT TO COVER COSTS,
% ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSITY.
% U.W. SYSTEM PRESIDENT JAY
% ROTHMAN JOINS US NOW.
% BEFORE WE BEGIN, WE SHOULD NOTE
% PBS WISCONSIN IS PART OF U.S.
% MADISON.
% PRESIDENT ROTHMAN, THANKS VERY
% MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
% >> IT'S MY PLEASURE.
% THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.
% >> YOU DESCRIBED THERE ARE TWO
% LEVERS FOR THE UNIVERSITY WHEN
% IT COMES TO MEETING COSTS:
% STATE GPR, TAX DOLLARS, AND
% TUITION.
% BUT EVEN THE GOVERNOR'S
% EDUCATION-FRIENDLY BUDGET%
DOESN'T GET YOU THERE, IS THAT
% RIGHT?%>> WELL, I THINK WE HA
VE TO LOOK
% AT IT, AND COMING FROM THE
% PRIVATE SECTOR, I LOOK AT IT AND
% SAY WE HAVE TO HAVE A PROFIT AND
% LOSS STATEMENT THAT BALANCES OUT
% AT THE END OF THE DAY.
% WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE VARIOUS
% REVENUE LEVERS THAT ARE
% AVAILABLE TO US, AND THAT'S --
% GPR IS A PRACTICAL MATTER AND
% TUITION AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT
% THE EXPENSE SIDE.
% IT'S BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE TUITION
% HAS BEEN ADJUSTED, AND DURING
% THAT PERIOD OF TIME, INFLATION
% HAS BEEN THERE, BUT MUCH MORE
% ACCELERATE OVER THE LAST COUPLE%
OF YEARS.
% SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO BALANCE
% OFF WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN
% TERMS OF A TUITION INCREASE.
% IT'S NOT GOING TO COVER THE COST
% OF INFLATION AS A PRACTICAL
% MATTER, SO WE ARE GOING TO HAVE
% TO ALSO LOOK AT THOSE EXPENSE
% LEVERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN
% ACHIEVE THE TWO GOALS THAT WE
% REALLY HAVE.
% ONE IS TO MAINTAIN THE QUALITY
% AND EXCELLENCE THAT THE U.W.
% SYSTEM IS KNOWN FOR, AND
% SECONDLY, TO ENSURE THE
% LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY
% AND SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR
% UNIVERSITIES.%>> WHAT ARE TH
E MAIN DRIVERS OF
% THE INCREASE FOR THE SYSTEM
% RIGHT NOW?
% >> IN SOME CASES IT'S THE
% INFLATIONARY PRESSURE BUT WE
% ALSO NEED TO INVEST.
% WISCONSIN IS IN A WAR FOR
% TALENT.%WE ARE NOT FILLING T
HE JOBS THAT
% ARE NEEDED BY STATE EMPLOYERS.
% CERTAINLY COMING OUT OF THE
% PRIVATE SECTOR, I KNEW THAT,
% BECAUSE I WAS EXPERIENCING THOSE
% SAME PRESSURES.
% BUT AS I'VE SPENT TIME IN MY
% CURRENT ROLE TALKING TO
% EMPLOYERS IN THE STATE, THE NEED
% FOR ENGINEERS, THE NEED FOR
% NURSES, THE NEED FOR TEACHERS,
% THE NEED FOR DATA SCIENTISTS,
% THAT LIST GOES ON AND ON.
% WE NEED TO INVEST IN ENROLLMENT
% AND IN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF
% STUDENTS WHO ARE GRADUATING.
% THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN ADOPTED
% BY THE REGENTS IN DECEMBER HAS A
% TARGET OF INCREASING OUR
% GRADUATES BY ABOUT 10% TO 41,000
% ANNUALLY BY 2028.
% >> IN YOUR MIND, WHAT HAPPENS IN
% WISCONSIN IF THE UNIVERSITY
% SYSTEM CANNOT ATTRACT AND RETAIN
% THAT TALENT, THOSE WORKERS?
% >> I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A
% BROADER ISSUE.
% IT'S A WISCONSIN ISSUE.
% IT'S FOR THE STATE.
% IF WE ARE NOT ABLE -- WE ARE THE
% BEST TALENT MAGNET IN MY
% JUDGMENT THIS STATE HAS IN TERMS
% OF RECRUITING, DEVELOPING AND
% RETAINING GREAT TALENT IN THE
% STATE.
% 87% OF OUR IN-STATE RESIDENTS
% WHO GRADUATE FROM ONE OF THE
% SYSTEM SCHOOLS STAY IN THE
% STATE.
% THAT'S A GREAT MAGNET.
% BUT IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, IF WE
% AREN'T SUCCESSFUL AND IF
% WISCONSIN IS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN
% WINNING THAT TALENT WAR, THE
% ECONOMIC PROSPECTS FOR THE STATE
% DECLINE.
% IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
% AND I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT
% WHAT IS THE STATE GOING TO LOOK
% LIKE 10 AND 15 AND 20 YEARS FROM
% NOW, AND WE HAVE CHALLENGES.
% WE LOOK AT DEMOGRAPHICS, WE LOOK
% AT BIRTH RATES, WE LOOK AT NET
% OUTWARD MIGRATION, AND WE LOOK
% AT THE DECLE DECLINE IN COLLEGE
% PARTICIPATION, THE NUMBER OF
% HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES GOING INTO
% COLLEGE.
% THOSE ARE CHALLENGES FOR OUR
% STATE.
% THE U.W. SYSTEM, PARTNERING WITH
% THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, PARTNERING
% WITH THE LEGISLATURE, CAN HELP
% ADDRESS THOSE FOR THE STATE OF
% WISCONSIN.%>> NOW, AS YOU KNO
W, THE
% GOVERNOR INCLUDED AN ADDITIONAL
% $24.5 MILLION TO FUND YOWRP
% TUITION PROMISE PROGRAM, BUT
% REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE LEADERS
% HAVE SAID STATE FUNDING OF THAT
% IS UNLIKELY AND SHOULD COME FROM
% PRIVATE DONATIONS.
% WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
% >> A COUPLE FACTORS.
% ONE IS, I THINK THAT IS A STEP
% IN HELPING US WIN THE WAR FOR
% TALENT.
% THAT IS AN INVESTMENT IN
% STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING FROM
% LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC MEANS, AND
% THAT IMPACTS ALL 72 COUNTIES IN
% OUR STATE.
% INCLUDING THE COUNTY THAT I GREW
% UP IN, IN NORTH CENTRAL
% WISCONSIN.
% IT CAN HELP GET MORE STUDENTS IN
% BECAUSE IT TAKES TUITION OFF THE
% TABLE.
% THOSE STUDENTS STILL HAVE A
% WHOLE LOT OF SKIN IN THE GAME.
% THEY HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF SKIN IN
% THE GAME BECAUSE THEY STILL HAVE
% TO PAY FOR HOUSING, THEY HAVE TO
% PAY FOR BOOKS, THEY HAVE TO PAY
% FOR TRANSPORTATION, AND THEY ARE
% INVESTING FOUR YEARS OF THEIR
% LIFE IN THAT COLLEGE EDUCATION,
% SO THERE'S A LOT OF SKIN IN THE
% GAME THAT ALLOWS FOR SOCIAL
% MOBILITY AND ALLOWS US TO TRY TO
% ADDRESS THE TALENT WAR.
% SO I THINK THAT IS A BIG PIECE
% OF TRYING TO RESPOND.
% SECONDLY, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE
% OPEN.
% I'VE WELCOMED THE CONVERSATION
% WITH THE LEGISLATORS ABOUT HOW
% WE CAN STRUCTURE THAT PROGRAM.
% I BELIEVE IN IT, I THINK IT'S
% IMPORTANT, I THINK IT HELPS
% ACHIEVE SOME GOALS FOR THE
% STATE, BUT I ALSO THINK WE HAVE
% TO -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE
% OPEN TO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION
% WITH THEM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
% DOING THAT.
% >> WITH LESS THAN A HALF A
% MINUTE LEFT, WHAT IS YOUR
% MESSAGE TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
% IN WISCONSIN ABOUT THIS TUITION
% INCREASE?%>> I THINK WE HAVE
TO LOOK AT IT
% AND SAY THREE THINGS.
% ONE IS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
% THAT WE MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF
% EDUCATION AND IF WE DON'T INVEST
% IN IT, WE WON'T MAINTAIN THAT
% QUALITY THE SYSTEM IS KNOWN FOR.
% SECONDLY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
% OUR UNIVERSITIES ARE
% SUSTAINABLE, BUT THIRD, WE DID
% AN AFFORDABILITY STUDY LAST
% SUMMER.%WE ARE THE MOST AFFO
RDABLE
% PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE
% MIDWEST.
% THIS TUITION INCREASE IS NOT
% GOING TO CHANGE THAT.
% WE ARE STILL GOING TO BE THE
% MOST AFFORDABLE, BEST VALUE OF
% ANY PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE
% MIDWEST.
% THE VALUE OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION
% IS, I DON'T THINK THE
% ECONOMICS -- THEY ARE
% UNATTAINABLE.%IT IS CLEAR TH
AT STUDENTS CAN
% BENEFIT FROM THAT, BOTH
% ECONOMICALLY BUT ALSO SOCIALLY.
% IT IS A GREAT INVESTMENT IN THE