% >> WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF
% $6 BILLION, THE UNIVERSITY OF
% WISCONSIN 26 CAMPUS SYSTEM IS
% AMONG THE LARGEST IN THE
% COUNTRY.
% THIS WEEK EVEN AS THE SYSTEM
% DETERMINES HOW TO SAFELY OPEN
% FOR THE FALL SEMESTER, GOVERNOR
% TONY EVERS ANNOUNCED
% $250 MILLION IN PANDEMIC-RELATED
% STATE PENDING CUTS.
% THIS AFTER A 70 MILLION %REDU
CTION IN MAY.
% U.W. SYSTEM PRESIDENT TOMMY
% THOMPSON RESPONDED ALMOST
% IMMEDIATELY SAYING THE
% UNIVERSITY SYSTEM ALREADY
% ABSORBED MORE THAN ITS FAIR
% SHARE OF CUTS LAST SPRING.
% THIS DISCLAIMER, PBS WISCONSIN
% IS PART OF U.W. MADISON.
% LATE THIS WEEK I SPOKE WITH
% SYSTEM PRESIDENT THOMPSON ABOUT
% THE THREAT OF FURTHER BUDGET
% CUTS AND ALSO ASKED HIM HOW THE
% SYSTEM WAS PREPARING FOR SAFE
% RETURN TO CAMPUS INSTRUCTION FOR
% THE FALL TERM.
% >> SECRETARY, GOVERNOR, NEW
% PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY
% SYSTEM, THANK YOU FOR BEING
% HERE.
% >> MY HONOR, FREDERICA, A
% PLEASURE TO SEE YOU.
% I REMEMBER FONDLY OUR DAYS WHEN
% YOU USED TO INTERVIEW ME WHEN I
% WAS GOVERNOR, SO VERY HAPPY TO
% BE BACK ON YOUR PROGRAM AND
% THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR
% HAVING ME.
% >> WELL, THANK YOU.
% WELL, JUST TO JUMP IN, CAN K-12
% DISTRICTS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF
% THE STATE DECIDING TO GO
% VIRTUALLY FOR THE START OF THE
% SCHOOL YEAR, HOW CAN THE U.W.
% SAFELY OPEN TO EVEN A HYBRID OF
% REMOTE AND IN-PERSON CLASSES
% SAFELY?
% >> WE ARE DEDICATED AND
% PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING SURE
% THAT OUR PROFESSORS, OUR
% INSTRUCTORS, OUR EMPLOYEES, AND
% ABOVE ALL, OUR STUDENTS ARE
% GOING TO BE SAFE.
% YOU GOT TO REMEMBER THAT I WAS
% SECRETARY OF HEALTH, AND I WOULD
% NEVER PUT ANYBODY AT HARM'S WAY
% IF I CAN HELP IT AND WE ARE
% DOING EVERYTHING, WE ARE
% PREPARING OUR CLASSROOMS, MAKING
% SURE OUR LARGE CLASSROOMS ARE
% NOT UTILIZED, EVERY STUDENT HAS
% TO HAVE A MASK ON WHEN THEY ARE
% INSIDE.
% ALSO ASKING THEM TO WEAR THEIR
% MASKS OUTSIDE IF THEY CANNOT
% SOCIALLY DISTANCE.
% AND ENTRANCE AND EXITS, A LOT OF
% THEM ARE ONE WAY.
% MAKING SURE OUR CLASSROOMS GOT
% THE HIGHEST CLEANING STANDARDS
% PUT DOWN BY C.D.C.
% WE ARE DEDICATED TO THAT.
% WE ARE PUTTING INSTRUCTIONS OUT
% DAILY AS TO HOW TO MAKE SURE OUR
% CLASSROOMS ARE SAFE.
% WE FEEL THAT WE ARE GOING TO
% HAVE OUR CLASSES AND CLASSROOMS
% AS PUBLICLY SAFE AND AS SAFE FOR
% OUR EMPLOYEES AS WE POSSIBLY CAN
% AND ABOVE ALL, OUR STUDENTS.
% SO I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT.
% WE ARE OPENING ON SEPTEMBER 2ND,
% AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU I'M
% DEDICATED TO MAKE SURE THAT
% EVERYBODY WILL BE SAFE.
% >> YOUNG ADULTS, AS YOU KNOW,
% WERE IN LARGE MEASURE
% RESPONSIBLE FOR KIND OF THE MOST
% RECENT SURGE.
% HOW CAN THE UNIVERSITY MANAGE
% THEIR BEHAVIOR ON AND OFF
% CAMPUSES?
% >> WELL, THERE'S NO WAY THAT YOU
% ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO,
% FREDERICA, MANAGE STUDENTS OFF
% CAMPUS BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS
% WE ARE ASKING STUDENTS TO WEAR
% THEIR MASK, PUTTING OUT A LOT OF
% INFORMATION, WE ARE ASKING
% STUDENTS TO GET FLU VACCINATED,
% AND HAVE THE VACCINE, YOU KNOW,
% PURCHASED SO WE CAN HELP
% STUDENTS GET VACCINATED.
% WE ARE PUTTING OUT A LOT OF
% INSTRUCTIONS.
% WE ARE TALKING TO A LOT OF
% STUDENTS AND WE ARE ENCOURAGING
% STUDENTS AND THE MOST IMPORTANT
% WAY TO DO IT HAVING STUDENTS
% TALK TO OTHER STUDENTS.
% LET'S GE SAFE, LET'S BE HEALTHY.
% WE ARE GOING TO ENJOY CAMPUS,
% BUT WE HAVE TO BE HEALTHY TO
% ENJOY IT.
% THIS IS THE MESSAGE GOING OUT,
% AND USING MY PUBLIC HEALTH DAYS,
% MY PUBLIC HEALTH HAT ON, I'M
% GOING TO DO EVERYTHING I
% POSSIBLY CAN THROUGH SOCIAL
% NETWORKING, THROUGH SIGNS,
% THROUGH ENCOURAGEMENT, USING
% STUDENTS, USING OUR PROFESSORS
% TO MAKE SURE OUR STUDENTS ARE
% SAFE BOTH ON AND OFF CAMPUS.
% >> NOW, YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY DEEP
% INTO THE BOOKS AT THE U.W.
% SYSTEM.
% WHAT KIND OF FINANCIAL -- WHAT
% KIND OF FINANCIAL HIT IS THE
% U.W. DEALING WITH BECAUSE OF
% CLOSURES LAST SPRING?
% >> WELL, HUGE.
% AMAZING THING.
% WE HAD TO REFUND PRO RATA THE
% SHARE OF THE STUDENT DORMS, THE
% FOOD WE PURCHASED.
% A LOT OF FOOD WE PURCHASED FOR
% THE FULL SEMESTER AND HAD TO
% GIVE IT AWAY, SO IT WAS A
% FINANCIAL REALLY STRONG HIT.
% HARDER ON SOME CAMPUSES THAN
% OTHERS, BUT OVERALL, IT WAS
% REALLY TOUGH FOR THE SYSTEM AND
% NOW, AND WE ALSO GOT IN THE
% FIRST SEMESTER WE ALSO GOT HIT
% BY ABOUT $50 MILLION FROM THE
% STATE OF WISCONSIN, WE ARE GOING
% TO HAVE TO TAKE ANOTHER HIT.
% SO, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
% SYSTEM HAS FINANCIAL PROBLEMS.
% BUT I AM CONFIDENT, I AM
% CONFIDENT WORKING WITH THE
% GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, WORKING WITH
% D.O.A., WORKING WITH MY CONTACTS
% IN WASHINGTON THAT WE ARE GOING
% TO BE ABLE TO GET ENOUGH STATE
% AND FEDERAL DOLLARS WITH THE
% HELP OF WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO,
% MANAGING THIS PROBLEM AT THE
% SYSTEM LEVEL, WE ARE GOING TO
% MAKE IT.
% WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT AND WE
% ARE GOING TO COME OUT STRONGER
% NEXT YEAR THAN WE ARE THIS YEAR.
% >> BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED,
% GOVERNOR TONY EVERS HAS
% ANNOUNCED ADDITIONAL
% $250 MILLION BUDGET CUT TO STATE
% AGENCIES AND PRESUMABLY THE U.W.
% WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A PORTION OF
% THAT.
% IS THERE ANY PORTION OF THAT
% THAT YOU BELIEVE THE SYSTEM CAN
% TAKE AND STILL EMBARK ON
% REOPENING AND PROVIDING ALL OF
% THE KINDS OF P.P.E., ETC., THAT
% YOU NEED TO DO TO DO SO SAFELY?
% >> WELL, THERE ARE TWO POTS OF
% MONEY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
% THE STATE MONEY THAT THE
% GOVERNOR IS TALKING ABOUT IS
% MONEY THAT CAN BE LAPSED BY THE
% GOVERNOR AND HIS OFFICE, AND WE
% ARE PUSHING BACK ON THAT, BUT WE
% ARE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THE
% GOVERNOR AND THE D.O.A.
% WE ARE TRYING TO SHOW HOW
% DIFFICULT IT'S GOING TO BE AND
% WHY IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE
% PROBLEMATIC FOR THE SYSTEM.
% BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE
% GOVERNOR AND HIS STAFF AND
% D.O.A.
% WE WANT TO BE -- WE DON'T WANT
% TO BE CONFRONTATIONAL, WE WANT
% TO BE COOPERATIVE AND WANT TO
% MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND
% OUR FINANCIAL CONDITIONS.
% WE ARE ALSO WORKING IN
% WASHINGTON TO GET MORE FEDERAL
% DOLLARS.
% AND AS YOU KNOW, I'VE ASKED THE
% GOVERNOR FOR $110 MILLION FOR
% PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT,
% AS WELL AS FOR TRACKING AND
% TRACING.
% AND TESTING.
% AND WE THINK, YOU KNOW, WITH
% THAT MONEY, IF WE COULD GET 100
% MILLION, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO
% DEFINITELY OPEN, WELL, WE ARE
% GOING TO OPEN UP, WE'LL BE SAFE.
% BUT WOULD BE MUCH MORE HELPFUL
% IF WE HAD THE EXTRA MONEY FOR
% TESTING AND TRACING AND FOR
% PURCHASING THE PROTECTIVE
% EQUIPMENT.
% >> WHAT DO YOU THINK THE
% LIKELIHOOD IS OF GETTING THAT
% KIND OF MONEY?
% >> YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS AN
% UPHILL BATTLE.
% NOTHING IS EASY WHEN YOU ARE
% ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE
% UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM,
% I'M FINDING OUT.
% BUT WE ARE GOING TO DO
% EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN.
% I AM AGGRESSIVELY SEEKING MONEY
% FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL
% LEVELS.
% I THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO
% BE -- I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.
% I COME FROM ELROY, WISCONSIN.
% YOU HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUSLY
% OPTIMISTIC JUST WAKING UP IN THE
% MORNING, AND SO I FEEL THAT WE
% ARE GOING TO DO IT, AND WE ARE
% GOING TO BE -- WE ARE GOING TO
% GET THROUGH THIS, AND WE ARE
% GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE STRONGER
% AND HEALTHIER NEXT SPRING THAN
% WE ARE TODAY.
% I AM CONFIDENT OF THAT.
% >> WE LEAVE IT THERE.
% FORMER GOVERNOR TOMMY THOMPSON,
% NOW PRESIDENT OF THE U.W.
% SYSTEM.
% THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING
% US.