- AN INSIDE LOOK NOW FROM CHANGES PROPOSED AT UW-STEVENS
POINT.
THAT'S WHERE 13 MAJORS HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK AS 16
NEW OR EXPANDED PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED.
THE CUTS INCLUDE MAJORS IN ART, POLITICAL SCIENCE, ENGLISH AND
LANGUAGES, INCLUDING FRENCH AND GERMAN.
EXPANDED PROGRAMS INCLUDE FINANCE AND COMPUTER INFORMATION
SYSTEMS.
ADDITIONALLY, NEW PROGRAMS WOULD INCLUDE AN MBA AND DOCTOR OF
PHYSICAL THERAPY.
THESE CHANGES COULD LEAD TO TENURED FACULTY LAYOFFS.
ALL OF THIS MUST BE APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF REGENTS.
GREG SUMMERS IS THE PROCEED POST AND VICE-CHANCELLOR OF ACADEMIC
AFFAIRS.
WHY THIS MOVE?
- WE'RE NO STRANGER TO BUDGET REDUCTIONS.
BACK IN THE 1970s WHEN THE UW SYSTEM WAS FIRST CREATED, WE GOT
ABOUT 50% OF THE BUDGET FROM THE STATE AND TUITION WAS ALMOST
FREE AND FEES WERE RELATIVELY MODEST.
TODAY WE GET ABOUT 13% OF OUR BUDGET FROM THE STATE AND FEES
AND TUITION HAVE BECOME QUITE A BURDEN FOR OUR STUDENTS.
THERE'S NOT MUCH NEW THERE.
WHAT HAS CHANGED ARE SEVERAL OTHER FACTORS.
WE'RE IN THE FIFTH SI YEAR OF A SIX-YEAR TUITION CHANGE.
DEMOGRAPHICS DO NOT FAVOR RECRUITMENT.
MOST INTERESTINGLY FOR US, WE'VE RECENTLY
DRAMATICALLY INCREASED OUR FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION RATE.
IN 2011 WE HAD A 22% GRADUATION RATE.
TODAY IT'S MORE LIKE 34%.
THAT'S REALLY EMPTIED OUT THE UNIVERSITY AND LED TO ENROLLMENT
DECLINE.
- AND SO WHAT KIND OF BUDGET CRUNCH ARE YOU LOOKING AT?
- WE HAVE ABOUT A $4.5 MILLION STRUCTURAL DEFICIT PRESENTLY.
- WHAT'S BEEN THE REACTION FROM STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO THESE
CHANGES?
- THIS IS EASILY THE MOST PAINFUL PROCESS THAT I THINK
I'VE BEEN THROUGH AS EITHER A FACULTY MEMBER OR AN
ADMINISTRATOR.
I'VE BEEN ON CAMPUS NOW FOR 17 YEARS AND IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT
PROCESS TO LET A MAJOR GO, PARTICULARLY IN SOME OF THE
DISCIPLINES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THESE ARE THE TRADITIONAL LIBERAL ARTS DISCIPLINES.
EVEN THOUGH IT REMAINS TRUE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE OFFERING ALL
OF THESE COURSES AND CURRICULA IN THE FORM OF MINORS, TO LET GO
OF THE MAJORS THEMSELVES IS A VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS.
AND SO IT'S BEEN KIND OF A THUNDER CLAP FOR THE CAMPUS TO
ABSORB.
- BECAUSE IN FACT ONE OF THOSE MAJORS IS HISTORY AND THAT IS A
DEPARTMENT YOU CAME OUT OF BEFORE YOU WENT INTO
ADMINISTRATION.
SO WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO CRITICS WHO SAY THAT THOSE
HUMANITIES ARE IMPORTANT TO EDUCATION?
- OH, THEY'RE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
I WOULDN'T DISAGREE WITH THAT AT ALL.
I THINK WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LOSS HERE.
WHEN I WAS A STUDENT IN THE OHIO STATE SYSTEM, I WENT TO SCHOOL
AT A PUBLIC OPEN ENROLLMENT UNIVERSITY AND I GOT TO MAJOR IN
HISTORY AND STUDY THE DISCIPLINE AND I WENT ON TO BECOME A
COLLEGE PROFESSOR.
THE FACT THAT PARTICULAR JOURNEY MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE HERE
AT STEVENS POINT IS KIND OF HEARTBREAKING FOR ME PERSONALLY.
BUT WE'RE MAINTAINING LARGE PARTS OF THE CURRICULUM.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO OFFER A STRONG LIBERAL ARTS CORE IN
OUR GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, PRESERVE A LOT OF MINORS AND
CERTIFICATES ROOTED IN THOSE, AND DEVELOPING NEW DISCIPLINES
GROUNDED IN THE HUMANITIES AND LIBERAL ARTS.
- HOW MANY LAYOFFS MIGHT RESULT?
- WE DON'T KNOW YET.
THERE'S A PROCESS THAT'S GOING TO BE UNFOLDING IN THE
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE HERE.
THERE'S A POLICY THAT WE'LL BE FOLLOWING.
WE'RE GOING TO BE FINE-TUNING THE PROPOSALS.
WE SIMPLY WANTED TO GIVE THE SENSE OF WHAT OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS WERE AND TO ASK FOR THEIR HELP IN THE NEXT SIX
MONTHS OR SO TO WORK TOGETHER ON SHAPING UP THE PROPOSALS THAT WE
NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
- IS THIS THE DIRECTION THAT OTHER CAMPUSES ACROSS THE STATE
ARE LOOKING AT AS WELL, TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE?
- WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL STRUGGLING TO RECRUIT NEW STUDENTS AND MANY
OF THE INSTITUTIONS ARE DEALING WITH THE DEMOGRAPHIC ISSUES THAT
ARE MAKING US REALLY WORK HARDER TO BRING IN NEW STUDENTS.
AND WE'RE ALL SEEING SOME DECLINES IN ENROLLMENT.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS INSTITUTION IS THAT GRADUATION
RATE ISSUE.
BECAUSE WE'VE SO DRAMATICALLY INCREASED OUR GRADUATION,
OUR SITUATION HAS BEEN MORE ACUTE.
THAT'S A GREAT THING FOR STUDENTS.
WE'RE PROUD OF THAT.
STUDENTS ARE GETTING OUT OF HERE SOONER AND WITH LESS EXPENSE.
BUT FINANCIALLY IT'S PUT A CRIMP ON OUR BUDGET.
- ALL RIGHT.
WE LEAVE IT THERE.
WE WISH YOU LUCK.
GREG SUMMERS, THANKS VERY MUCH.
- THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.