THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO
REPUBLICANS.
>> ONE OF THE AREAS 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 WITH 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 ARGUMENT 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 DEVELOPER 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.